My Immortal
by Chibi Cheesecake
Summary: FINISHED with epilogue! The Ghouls take revenge on Malik – with the lives of Rishid and Isis at stake, of course. The Ishtars will have to face the past that won’t leave them alone. Very fluffy.
1. The Beginning

**_My Immortal _**

**Summary**: The Ghouls take revenge on Malik – with the lives of Rishid and Isis at stake, of course. The Ishtars will have to face the past that won't leave them alone. Fluffy.

**Disclaimer**: Nope, don't own.

**Notes**: I'm having Ryou's dad be the curator of the Domino Museum, and I'm having Domino City be in Tokyo. I read those somewhere – whether it was a fansite or a fanfic I can't tell you. But that's what Ima gonna do for this ficcie. And yes, the museum really does have grocery-store-style-sliding-front-doors. :P

Oh, thanks to Sarah for massaging my ego every time she'd read some of my angst, and thanks to LuckyLadybug66 for helping with random stuff, and for writing the threatening note, 'cause I couldn't think of anything for it to say, and for not minding that I stuck in a reference to her story There You'll Be. n.n

Any time you see some really specific bit of info, such as height or whatever, I got it from theria (dot) net.

You get a cookie if you can guess what A Perfect Circle song inspired Malik's creepy dream sequence. n.n I think I've got enough things in it related to the song for you to figure it out... The Yami/Yuugi thing towards the beginning is just a cute little hurt/comfort Yami/Yuugi not-actually shounen-ai-but-it-depends-on-your-interpretation-thing....n.n It was inspired by the chapter of Daricio's fanfic 'Where's Yugi?' with the Yami B/Yami duel.

**&&&& **

"Have you talked to him today?"

"No, not me."

"Nope."

"No."

"Nuh-uh."

"I don't think he's talked to anyone since....since it happened."

"He hasn't even spoken with Mokuba-kun."

"Wait, Yuugi, Mokuba knows?"

"Yeah. Kaiba-kun told him."

"How did he take it?"

"I don't know. But I can imagine...."

The others nodded.

"Hey, Jounouchi, didn't you call Shizuka? And Mai?"

"Yeah."

"What'd they have to say?"

"They're both taking it pretty rough...."

The others nodded. Shizuka...well, he'd saved her life. And Mai had taken quite a liking to the three of them.

"Mai's trying to get time to come down here, and Shizuka's persuading Mom to bring her here. They want to talk to him."

"I can't believe he came to school today..."

"Me neither."

"Well, it's probably pretty lonely back at his house, right? I mean....they're both gone...."

"Bakura-kun's right...."

"Hey, I've got to get going......"

"Yeah, me too. Jiichan will be wondering where I am."

"See you, Yuugi."

"Bye."

"See ya tomorrow."

"G'bye."

**&&&& **

Yuugi Mutou was walking slowly home, letting his mind wander straight into his soul room. It didn't matter that he wasn't paying attention; he knew the route to the Kame Game Shop very well.

In his soul room, he sighed, and kicked a rubber ball, watching it bounce off the wall.

"Aibou?" came Yami's voice from the doorway. "Are you alright?"

"Malik-kun isn't talking to anyone, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi mumbled, chewing his lip.

"Aibou...." Yami walked into the room and placed his hands on Yuugi's shoulders.

"It's not fair!!" Yuugi burst out, burying his head in his other's shirt. "It's...." He gave up, and Yami let him sob into his shirt. "H-he doesn't deserve to suffer anymore," Yuugi choked. "Did you see...last night...did you see the look on his face?"

Yami looked at him. Yuugi's heart was too big for his own good – but, Yami realized, that was one of the things about his light that he loved, one of the reasons he felt lucky to share a body with this boy.

**&&&& **

It was going to rain. He craned his head and looked up at the saturated gray clouds.

He was the antecedent of every 'he' spoken in Domino, it seemed.

He was Malik Ishtar, and he was alone.

Malik had ridden his motorcycle to Domino's cemetery. He wasn't sure why he'd come up here. It just seemed to make sense.

After all, they weren't buried here yet.

He didn't even want them to be buried here. He was afraid of that – he was afraid of burying them, because it would be as though he was admitting they were truly gone.

However, he knew, deep down, they were gone, and he would have to accept it if he were to ever move on.

But how could he move on, anyway? They were dead because of him.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, turning yesterday's events over in his mind.

**_Flashback_**

Lately, Malik Ishtar had been walking with a bit of a bounce in his step.

Malik stared outside the window of the bus, his head bobbing slightly in time with the music he was listening to on his personal CD player. He loved that thing like it was a third sibling. Neither of his older siblings shared his tastes in music. ("Those sound like some very angry young men," was Isis' reaction to Linkin Park.) So a personal CD player meant Malik could listen as loud as he pleased and not bother anyone.

The only problem was that, on more than one occasion, his CD player had completely shut out the outside world, and many times Malik had nearly missed his stop.

This time he didn't, however, and, with a backward wave at the bus driver, the teen, shouldering his backpack and clutching his CD player, jumped off the bus.

It was already past seven in the evening, Malik guessed. He'd already told his siblings, though, that he planned to head to Yugi's that afternoon (the group gathered there regularly to do homework, but all the games in Yugi's shop posed a bit of a distraction). He'd also head over to Mokuba's house, because the black-haired boy had recently bought a new video game he'd wanted to show Malik.

Walking down the sidewalk and skirting past a puddle of rainwater, Malik had to smile at the memory of Mokuba crying triumphantly, "I beat you!! I won!"

Mokuba had confessed, though, that he was worried at the lack of sleep his brother was getting. Malik was sure that Kaiba knew just how much his younger brother idolized him, but sometimes Malik did find himself getting aggravated with the CEO for always pushing himself the way he did. Seeing as today had been the last day of school before a week-long break, Malik had encouraged Mokuba to talk to his brother, maybe try and get him away from his work, just for a little while.

After all that Malik had seen and been through, he was determined to make sure nothing of the sort ever happened to Mokuba. He knew how much Kaiba meant to Mokuba, and he hoped that nothing would ever happen to the bond the brothers shared.

But as he neared the house he lived in with his siblings, Malik felt a growing dread in his stomach. He felt like something was terribly wrong with his own siblings.

Malik walked up to the door, reached into his pocket and fumbled with the key for a moment. "Rishid?" he called, as soon as he was inside. "Neesan?"

No one answered. A quick check of the house confirmed that it was indeed empty. He was rapidly growing more and more nervous. Perhaps they were at the museum? It closed early on Mondays, but maybe Isis had some other business to take care of, and Rishid stayed with her.

Yes, that was highly likely. It just seemed odd that they hadn't left a note...

**&&&& **

It was raining by the time Malik reached the museum. It was dark and still, his footsteps echoing on the polished marble floors. "Hello?" he called as he walked inside. "Neesan? Rishid?"

Still no one. The nervous feeling was worse than ever. He swallowed, his mouth feeling dry. He was being stupid. He had to shake it off. Malik dug out his keys, having reached the door that led into the employees-only basement. They had to be down here. They had to be.

But it was dark in the basement as well. "Anyone here?" Malik called desperately.

He walked down the basement hallway to Isis' office. The light was on, and the door slightly ajar. Taking a shaky breath and steadying his shaking hands, Malik grabbed the doorknob and thrust the door open.

He reeled backwards.

The chair was overturned, papers were everywhere, books lay on the floor, a knife lay on the floor as well, and there were bloodstains on the green carpet.

**&&&& **

"Finished," Ryou said, throwing down his pencil triumphantly, having conquered his math homework.

But then his father got the call. He could tell immediately something was wrong by the urgency in his father's voice.

"Yes, I see," his father said soberly. There was a pause. "K-kidnapped? An employee? Who was it?"

Ryou froze, listening as best as he could. 'Someone working at the museum has been kidnapped?' he thought.

_"Sure sounds like it,"_ Bakura answered through their mind link.

"Isis Ishtar!?" his father gasped incredulously from downstairs.

Ryou nearly fell out of his chair.

"Her brother was kidnapped as well? Which brother?"

Ryou listened, utterly silent, Bakura appearing next to him in transparent form.

"I see," Ryou's father said heavily. "So it was Malik who found they were missing?"

Ryou and Bakura stared at each other, eyes wide. The rest of the conversation was irrelevant to them.

They heard Ryou's father sigh wearily and hang up the phone. "Ryou?" he called upstairs. "That was the police."

**&&&& **

They reached the museum shortly thereafter. Ryou refused to stay at home – Malik was his friend – the only one of his friends, in fact, to which he'd shared some of his secrets. Back during Battle City, while everyone had been at Alcatraz, a few lost souls found themselves wandering aimlessly throughout the island. Ryou and Malik had been two of those souls, and their paths often crossed.

A few police cars were parked outside, and a few officers stood outside the door, keeping out passerby. When Ryou and his father approached the door, the police officers nodded and let them pass. As soon as they were inside, Ryou broke into a run through the hall and down the basement steps, his father running after him.

Downstairs, they found more policemen, and were greeted by a very businesslike policewoman, who introduced herself as Mikage Yukimura.

"Where's Ma-" Ryou began, but stopping short when he noticed the Egyptian sitting in a small plastic chair off to the side, silent and looking rather shell-shocked.

"He's not talking to anyone," Yukimura said softly. "We'll have to question him eventually...but he doesn't have to say anything yet if he doesn't want to."

Ryou walked slowly over to Malik, who didn't look up. "Hey, Bakura," he said quietly.

"Hi," Ryou said, just as inaudible.

"The police think they have a clue," Malik told him.

"T-that's good."

Silence. Ryou remembered clearly the agonizing silence and tense hours of waiting for news of a loved one. It had happened to him more than once.

Deciding that Malik would probably rather be left alone, Ryou turned and began walking away. But a hand reached out, grabbing Ryou's wrist.

Ryou turned back to see Malik looking up at him, his eyes imploring. "Don't leave me," he whispered. "I'm kind of scared."

"Okay," Ryou whispered back, dragging over another chair and placing it next to Malik's. "I won't."

Only a few minutes had passed when they heard indignant shouting coming from upstairs.

"That sounds like Jounouchi..." Malik noted, turning to Ryou.

"I, um, called the others and told them before O-tousan and I came here...." Ryou answered, rather uncomfortably. "Do you mind?"

"No, that's okay," Malik said, a small smile coming across his face. He honestly couldn't be sure if he minded or not, but he didn't want Ryou to feel bad.

The two of them headed up and out of the basement and to the front of the museum, where they saw Jounouchi, Anzu, Yuugi, and Honda standing outside, being turned away by the police. Jounouchi, of course, wasn't going to be turned away easily. Honda joined in his protests, and even Yuugi and Anzu continued to implore with the police officers.

Malik and Ryou stepped up to the doors and they slid to admit the two boys, startling those outside.

"Hi, guys..." Ryou blinked. "Um, what's the trouble, Officer?" he asked timidly.

"W-we cannot allow them inside," the officer stuttered. "This is a crime scene; we cannot allow the public to just walk in."

"We're not the public, and we're not 'just walking in'!" Honda interjected.

"Umm...." Malik spoke up, thinking fast, everyone turning to look at him. He rubbed his arms, embarrassed at being the center of attention. "I was hoping they could wait with me. F-for news and stuff. I-is that a problem?"

"Uh..." the police officer shook his head. "No, I suppose it's not a problem. Just don't mess anything up."

"Thanks for that," Anzu said quietly to Malik, as the group headed back into the museum.

"Um, how are you feeling?" Yuugi asked Malik. It was a rather half-brained question, but he didn't know how else to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Kinda nervous," Malik said softly. "I-"

But by then they had reached the basement, and Yukimura came up to the group.

"Hey, Malik, can we talk to you for a bit?" she asked, her voice businesslike but not unfriendly.

She led them over to the plastic chairs that had been set up. She gestured for Malik to sit in one, and sat in one across from him.

"We've got some good news and some bad news. Which would you rather hear first?"

Malik chewed his lip. "T....the bad news."

"Alright. The blood we found at the scene – we did some DNA testing, and the blood is your brother's. A bit of it came up as unknown – we don't know whose blood it was."

"The kidnappers'?" Honda offered.

"It's highly likely," Yukimura answered.

"I guess he was trying to fight them off," Malik said, swallowing. "H-he didn't want them to hurt Neesan, so..." He felt someone grip his shoulder.

"Okay, now it's time for the good news," Yukimura, smiling slightly. "The knife we found – covered in fingerprints, and we identified the knife as being from a store in Nagasaki. The police down there have been alerted, and an investigation going on there as well, so we should have some news soon."

"Think it will be good news?" Ryou asked hopefully.

"We just have to be optimistic," Yuugi answered. "Right?"

"Oh, the next thing," she said, rising to her feet. She grabbed a male officer walking by, and they spoke in hushed voices. The two officers returned, and Yukimura, wearing gloves, held out a few tattered pieces of paper.

Malik's mouth dropped open.

"I'm guessing this is the first you've seen of these?" the officer asked.

"You can't protect him forever. Ease up or you'll all go to Hell," the note said, dated a week ago. There were a few others, the same general threatening message, all dated within the past week.

The others gaped as well. "T....they never told me anything about this," Malik said dazedly. "I guess they didn't want to worry me..."

"Can any of you ID the handwriting?" the officer asked.

They all studied the untidy scrawl, but shook their heads.

"Any idea who it was that could've done this?" Yukimura urged. "Anyone with a grudge against you, or anyone who feel they'd be justified in harming you...?

Suddenly, Malik's eyes got huge, as an idea hit him full in the face.

"The....the Ghouls," he said softly. "It was them."

"The Ghouls?!" the officers repeated incredulously.

"What would the Ghouls want with you and your siblings?" Yukimura asked.

Malik opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He stared down at his lap, bangs falling in front of his face.

The others looked uneasily at each other.

"Y-you've dealt with the Ghouls before?" Yuugi asked the officers.

"So far, they haven't been involved in any really major crimes, but yes, we've dealt with the Ghouls," Yukimura replied, a look of disgusted annoyance on her face.

"Well, you see...in Kaiba's Battle City tournament...." Ryou scratched his cheek.

"It was me," Malik whispered suddenly. "I was the one...I formed them. I led them."

The other officer looked appalled. "Do you have any idea how many problems the Ghouls have caused us!?" he asked.

In a flash, Jounouchi had grabbed the man by the collar, their faces inches apart. "Yeah? Well, we're not here to talk about _your_ problems, are we?" he growled.

"Jounouchi!" a chorus of voices admonished at once.

"Sit down," Yukimura said harshly, giving him an exasperated look that said, 'Look, I understand you're angry, but you're pushing it...'

Jounouchi stepped back, glowering, and Yukimura turned back to Malik. "There's nothing else we can do now, really, except wait," she said quietly, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'll let you know if there's any other news." She turned and left the group alone.

It appeared strange, the way that Jounouchi had come to be a bit protective of Malik, the way he was with the others. But if one knew the story behind it, it would make perfect sense.

**_Flashback...within a flashback. XD_**

Shizuka had been visiting Domino at the time. Their father had called their mother in order to let her know that Shizuka had arrived safely, and the siblings had come up with the excuse of going to the grocery store for a few things in order to leave the house. There was too big of a chance that somehow the simple phone call would escalate into an argument.

The parking lot had been crowded, so Jounouchi had had to park the car far from the store, and Shizuka went inside by herself.

And then, as she was coming back to the car, groceries in hand, a car came down the hill. Somehow, the driver had lost control, and the vehicle was barreling toward Shizuka very fast. She stood there, frozen, Jounouchi leaping out of their parked car.

"SHIZUKA!" he screamed, beginning to dart forward, when a blur dressed in a light-colored t-shirt dashed across the road, grabbing Shizuka and sending them both to safety.

The blur was Malik Ishtar. He'd landed beneath Shizuka, breaking the fall onto the hard pavement.

Jounouchi stood in shock for a moment. Had Malik just...saved his sister's life?

People began to gather around them, and Jounouchi slowly walked toward the growing throng, confused. Malik Ishtar – one of his bitterest rivals – had just saved someone's life. Not just any life – he'd saved the life of the sister of the person who hated him the most. It was bizarre.

When he reached the scene, Shizuka pushed through the people and threw her arms around Jounouchi's waist. "I think he's hurt!" she cried.

A man knelt down beside Malik, feeling his pulse. "He's breathing," the man noted, "but he doesn't look so good."

Malik's breathing was shallow, his eyes hollow.

"Malik, can you hear me!?" Shizuka exclaimed, crouching by his side and grabbing his hand. His hand twitched, and he groaned, beginning to come back to his senses.

The man by his side gently helped him into a sitting position. "What happened?" he mumbled.

A woman standing nearby smiled and placed her hand on Shizuka's shoulder. "You just saved this young lady's life."

Another woman and her young son stood nearby, quite distraught. "I...I'm so sorry," the woman was saying. "He was talking, and the car...I just wasn't looking, so..."

"We're sorry, Mister," the boy said tearfully, looking earnestly at Malik.

Malik had to smile. "It's okay."

"C'mon, we can get you ice back at home," Shizuka said, as she and the man helped Malik to his feet. Jounouchi was standing to the side, hands in his pockets, staring at the ground.

"Thanks," he mumbled, still staring at the ground. But then he looked Malik straight in the eye, and he grinned.

**_End flashback_**

It had not been much longer, perhaps maybe half an hour, when Yukimura emerged from the back room, marching resolutely to the group. Malik was leaning against the counters, idly poking at some of the artifacts there. Yuugi was looking around at the relics, mainly for Yami's benefit, who was torn between fascination and disgust at the public display of these precious items.

"We have news," Yukimura said, striving to keep her voice steady.

Malik looked at her face, and the nervousness began in his stomach again. "W...what...?"

"Malik," Yukimura began, taking his hand in hers. "We just got a call from the police down in Nagasaki. Rishid and Isis are dead."

The words pierced his heart like a knife. Everything was silent, like the calm before a storm.

Malik's legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees, staring forward, his expression blank.

_Dead. Gone. Forever. _

He felt someone by his side, their arms tight around his shoulders – he thought maybe it was Anzu, but he didn't know.

He heard them talking, but the words blurred together into an incomprehensible mass of sound.

_Dead...dead...dead..._

"Snap out of it!" Jounouchi was demanding, sounding as though he were about to cry. "Wake up!"

"What do we do?" Ryou cried, distraught, looking at Yukimura.

In response, she crouched down in front of Malik, held tight in Anzu's grasp. "Malik, can you hear me? Malik?" Yukimura shook the boy's shoulders, but no response. He'd gone completely catatonic.

**_End Flashback_**

He wasn't sure how he'd gotten home....someone must've taken him; nor was he sure when his unresponsive state had ended. He wished he hadn't been so numb – he knew it had scared the others. Malik sighed.

All throughout the day at school, the others had been rather quiet, watching him carefully, jumping to his defense if anyone tried to bother him about the details of the previous night. Malik was honestly both thankful and exasperated at their behavior. He wasn't quite sure how to justify either reaction.

He wasn't even sure why he'd gone to school that day. After all, Malik doubted he'd gotten more than three hours of sleep the previous night.

But, deep down, he knew why he had gone – he couldn't stand the silence.

He suddenly realized it had been raining on him, the rain growing steadier and heavier, and he chose to head home.

He decided when he got home he'd make himself eat something (he knew the others would worry if he didn't) and then he would read, watch something on television, just do anything distracting – until he fell asleep.

Malik had found the night before that if he simply lay there and tried to sleep, the memories and thoughts and what-ifs filled his head until the pain cut through him like a thousand white-hot knives. He had realized with a cold slap in the face that he was alone. And now, he would always _be_ alone.

Then he'd cried.

He hadn't cried since the previous night, since he learned that the Ghouls were behind everything, because he'd felt so frustrated and scared and helpless and guilty.

But when he was told they were dead, there was nothing but a numb disbelief.

Finally he reached his house and parked his motorcycle in the driveway, shielding his head from the rain and running up to the porch.

His plans for the evening were changed suddenly, because Malik had noticed a damp, forlorn Mokuba Kaiba sitting on the porch.

Everyone knew Mokuba and Malik were best friends – it had been that way ever since Malik had somehow managed to save both the Kaiba brothers from a car accident. (Malik seemed to be good at that sort of thing.)

"Er.....hi," Mokuba mumbled, staring at the ground.

"Hello," Malik blinked. "Um, should we go inside?"

Malik pulled his keys from his pocket and, fumbling with them, unlocked the front door. Mokuba pretended not to notice his friend's shaking hands.

"You can sit down," Malik offered as they walked inside. "I need to get a sweatshirt," he added, shaking the water from his hair.

He headed up the stairs and down the hall to his room, quickening his pace as he came by their rooms. He didn't want to go in to either, yet.

But there was one room he was sure he'd never be able to enter again.

The Ishtars had acquired a nice-sized two-story house in a quiet, suburban neighborhood of Domino.

Isis, of course, being with the Egyptian government, had quite a few connections that had helped them out a great deal.

And in the house was a sort-of den.

Isis brought home a lot of artifacts to study further down there, and there was a small desk at which Malik would sometimes sit and do schoolwork. (Malik had learned that while math was not his strong point, Rishid seemed to understand numbers and what you could do with them pretty well.) And at times, when Isis would be a bit frazzled with her work, Malik would come down and offer a helping hand or even just a distraction. They'd spent a lot of time together, something Malik didn't want to be reminded of.

He returned to the kitchen, pulling a dark sweatshirt over his head as he did so, finding Mokuba sitting at the kitchen table.

"Uh....do you want something to drink...or...something...?" Mokuba stumbled. Malik blinked.

"Water would be nice, if you don't mind," Malik shrugged.

Mokuba nodded and jumped to his feet, grabbing two glasses from the cabinet over his head and filling them in the sink. Malik even found himself a bit amused at his friend's sudden motherly attitude.

They'd been sitting for a few moments in silence, when Malik noticed Mokuba was staring at him.

"Are you okay?" Malik asked.

Mokuba stared down at his hands. "W-when I got home from school this afternoon, Niisama told me what happened, and I know it's not really my business, but I came because I wanted to see you, and I wanted to see if maybe I could help; I was thinking maybe I would be able to help, 'cause when I was little my parents died and I sort of remember them, and I remember missing them, and....You've always been there for me, s-so I wanted to try and help you out too..."

He was crying by now, although he was trying to hide it. "I-I miss them too. 'Cause Isis let me hang out in the museum when there was no one around, and Rishid's saved me and Seto more times than I can count, and..."

Malik was grinning, despite the tears running down his face. His best friend. The first person to be honest to him all day. He knew then, probably more than ever, that he would be willing to give anything to keep this boy safe.

He got up and went around the table, his hands resting on Mokuba's shoulders. "Thank you," he said warmly. "I....I forgot...I forgot I have people there for me. So...I guess..." He just ruffled Mokuba's hair, unable to go on.

**&&&& **

The other two Ishtars had had quite an eventful time the previous day as well, because, they were, in fact, very much still alive.

**_Flashback _**

"It's about time you two came around," a voice sneered from overhead.

"Geez, how hard didja hit 'em, anyway?" snickered another voice.

Isis Ishtar blinked, slowly sitting up and looking around. She was lying on the hard metal floor of a room that looked as though it were designed for storage.

"Rishid!" she cried, turning and noticing her brother sitting up as well. But something was wrong with Rishid. His breathing was slow and labored, and he looked pained. She noticed that he clutched his arm, blood dripping from between his fingers. Everything came back to her then – the call that made threats to Malik's life, ordering Isis and Rishid to her office at the museum...then they'd been accosted by the men in robes, and in the struggle, the slash Rishid received on his arm....

She was at his side in an instant, despite the pounding in her head.

"Heheh, how sweet," the first voice sneered again. She looked up to face them, and her eyes widened.

They were Ghouls.

"What," Rishid choked, "have you done with Malik-sama?"

"Not to worry," Ghoul #1 said. "He's very much alive, and will remain so...for a little while, at least."

"We were told to keep your stay nice and comfortable," Ghoul #2 added, his voice derisive. "So if there's anything you need, just let us know."

"How about a more comfortable room, then?" Rishid asked dryly, shifting awkwardly on the hard metal floors.

"Now, now, let's not overstay our welcome," Ghoul #1 replied. "Or we may have to carry out the plan sooner than we intend to." He grinned maliciously, and Isis and Rishid realized their plan didn't involve the Ishtars keeping their lives.

"Or," Ghoul #2, grinning spitefully, "we could just kill the brothers and keep the sister."

"Always the letch, eh, Kano?" Ghoul #1 joked loudly, and the two of them broke into laughter.

They obviously were not aware that they were dealing with the woman who, in less than half an hour, had wrapped Japan's most powerful businessman around her little finger. A very disgusted Isis got to her feet and slapped them both across the face, and they stopped laughing, staring in surprise.

"Don't you have any manners at all?" Isis asked, dismayed.

"Why, you little-" Kano gaped, reaching at her.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to keep your dirty hands to yourself?" she asked, slapping his hand away.

The two Ghouls stared at her in a mix of hatred and apprehension, and backed off, grumbling.

Rishid smiled to himself.

"If our stay is to be comfortable," Isis continued, "then I need you to bring me medicinal supplies - antiseptics, bandages, things like that. My brother's been hurt."

The Ghouls stared blankly at her. She sighed exasperatedly.

"Do you understand _this_ any better?" she asked, switching to the mix of Egyptian and Arabic the three Ishtars had first learned to speak as children.

Rishid let out a laugh despite himself.

Finally, the Ghouls, having had their intelligence insulted enough, scooted out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

A while later, the door opened slightly, and a bottle of antiseptic along with a gauze bandage thrown in.

"Alright," Isis said, her tone almost businesslike. "Let me see your arm."

Rishid shrugged off his cloak and gingerly pulled up his sleeve, revealing the wound. Isis tried not to let it faze her, having doctored many a scrape when Malik was a child and liked to see just how fast he could run down the stone corridors of their old home. She tore off a corner of the hem of her dress, sort of as a makeshift cotton ball, soaking it in the antiseptic.

"This will sting a little," she warned, gently dabbing at the wound. Rishid flinched but said nothing. She took the bandage and wrapped it around the gash, sitting back on her heels when she was finished. "It probably needs stitches," she said, eying her brother's arm critically. "But this is the best we can do for now. At least the bleeding has almost stopped."

She looked up and noticed Rishid watching her, smiling one of the rare smiles only an Ishtar ever saw.

Isis' serious face melted into a smile as well. "What is it?"

Just then, the door opened, and Kano, the Ghoul, stepped in. Isis and Rishid looked darkly at him.

"Only wanted to let you know what's been going on with your precious Malik," he said, smirking in a sinister way.

The other two Ishtars looked at him, shocked. "What have you done?!" Rishid growled, slowly getting to his feet.

"Don't get so hasty," Kano grinned. "With that injury, you should probably rest."

Isis leapt to her feet, stepping up so that she and the Ghoul stood only inches apart. Kano stood at 5'10", towering over Isis' 5'4" frame.

But he found her scary anyway.

"What did you do to Malik?" she demanded coldly.

Kano grinned rather nervously. "We just gone and killed him, that's all..." Not wanting to invite her wrath, he scooted quickly out the door.

Isis and Rishid stared after him in disbelief.

_Dead...?_

"No," Isis whispered, sinking to her knees. "They...wouldn't...they didn't...NO! I won't believe them, I won't!" she sobbed.

Rishid knelt by her side, drawing his sister into his arms. 'Malik-sama...'

'Malik-sama...no...Malik-sama...'

_**End Flashback**_

**&&&&**

Mokuba had left some hours later, leaving Malik alone. And then the thunderstorm began, along with the chuckling.

At first it had been barely audible, but began picking up volume. It was quiet, but the only thing Malik could hear.

Malik, still wrapped in his sweatshirt, sat curled up on the couch, his eyes squeezed shut, wanting badly for the storm to end.

The eerie chuckling was growing louder.

"I must be losing my mind," he whispered to no one. "W....who is in my head....?"

'Please, let me sleep,' he thought desperately. 'I want to sleep....'

He wasn't sure when he dropped off, exactly, but finally the exhaustion got to him, and he slept.

Suddenly, psychotic laughter exploded in his ears, and his eyes flew open.

Malik was standing immobile, unable to move.

_He was on the Battle Ship, and Rishid was on the ground._

"N...no..."

But why...why couldn't he move?

"Hello, Malik."

He felt someone behind him running their fingers through his hair. He tensed up, the feeling sending shivers up and down his spine.

That voice....

The person behind him walked in front of him, and Malik found himself facing...himself.

Yami Malik smiled amiably.

"W....who are you?" Malik asked hoarsely.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here," Yami Malik answered, the smile on his face beginning to frighten Malik. "Don't look anymore." He pulled Malik's arm, and suddenly he could no longer see Rishid.

"Where's...what happened to my brother?" Malik panicked.

"Go to sleep," Yami Malik answered, his voice still calm. "I'm going to keep you safe."

"Who are you?"

"Do you remember all the times you've been angry? Do you remember what happens when you get angry?"

"I...I blackout...." Malik looked confused. "It's like my soul leaves my body. The angrier I am, the longer it lasts...especially if Rishid isn't around..." He looked at Yami Malik.

"That's me," Yami Malik whispered, in the insane, excited tone he would become famous (or infamous) for using. "Those blackouts – are because of me. I take over your body for you, protecting you from all the pain, and the truth, and the choices..."

Malik found himself unable to move again. Yami Malik stepped closer to him. "Because I am the only one that cares about you," he whispered in Malik's ear.

"I will protect you, and keep you safe...just go to sleep."

Malik felt his eyes slowly closing, the darkness swirling around him. "I don't like the dark," he whispered.

"That's alright," Yami Malik answered. "I...I love the dark very, very much."

Malik's eyes suddenly snapped open. "N-no....I don't want to sleep. I don't want you to control my body. I don't like you."

Yami Malik put his hands across Malik's shoulders, the other boy shuddering. "Now, you don't really mean that, do you?"

"G...get off."

Malik abruptly remembered how this had all played out. The last time...the last time, he'd succumbed to the darkness, where it controlled him for a long time.

...last time? There had been a last time?

Yes, a last time...during Battle City...But then...if he'd overcome his other...if the scene in front of him was a thing of the past, what was going on?

Malik glared at his dark half, suddenly recalling everything. "Everyone called you my dark character," he said, his tone furious, "but you...you are simply the darkness. You took over my head and my heart. But I beat you...you aren't a part of me anymore. You....get...out...GET OUT!"

Yami Malik was startled.

"I overcame you because I have Neesan and Rishid!" Malik burst out, but then he froze.

Yami Malik smirked widely at him. "But you don't have them anymore."

Malik's eyes widened, and he fell to his knees.

"They're gone," Yami Malik taunted, circling Malik. "They're _dead_. And you know whose fault it is?"

"It....it's mine," Malik said numbly.

"That's right," Yami Malik grinned, continuing to circle. "And you know what, Malik? I'll let you in on a little secret." He crouched and whispered in Malik's ear. "Rishid and Isis – they never forgave you for Battle City. And they weren't planning to."

Malik, in a flash, had whirled around and punched Yami Malik in the jaw. "LIAR!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face, his other flying back and hitting the ground.

"Ooh, I've touched a nerve, have I? Can't accept the truth, can you?" Yami Malik choked, struggling to his feet, wiping blood from his lip, but knowing he had the advantage.

"That's enough," two voices rang out from in the distance. From out of nowhere came a light, a light that slowly swept across the darkness. When the light touched Yami Malik, he screamed as though it were fire, drawing back from the light, but it continued to come closer.

The light engulfed everything, and when it faded, Yami Malik was gone.

"Malik..."

"Malik-sama..."

Malik turned, doubting, but wanting to believe. "N-neesan?" he called tentatively. "Rishid?"

And suddenly they were there, standing, arms outstretched. Isis was smiling, tears welling in her eyes. Malik ran toward them, smiling, but suddenly, the scene began to fade. "WAIT!" he screamed. "DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"Stay strong," he heard his sister whisper.

"Things are not what they seem," he heard Rishid say, before Malik's eyes snapped open and he found himself tumbling off the sofa onto the floor.

"Things are not what they seem," Malik repeated, holding his head, looking around the room, as though expecting to see Rishid and Isis standing in front of him.

'_That...wasn't an ordinary dream_,' Malik thought. '_Could it be...they're not dead?'_

**&&&& **

Mojobubbles: (grin) Now, here's Anzu with the next 'episode' preview!

Anzu: Eh? What's that, Malik? You think Isis and Rishid are alive? A search for clues leads us all the way to Osaka, Japan, where things aren't really as they seem! Next time on My Immortal! Duel standby!

Mojobubbles: Anyone who's seen the original eppies know what I'm trying to do...n.n Review, onegai?


	2. The Middle

Mojobubbles: (grin) Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of My Immortal!

Couple things 'afore we get started....

(sigh) I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter...It's not exactly very good, I'm afraid...T.T I think there's too much describing and not enough dialogue...

I got a bunch of location-info for this chapter – names of cities, train stations, etc. All the info I got came from the site japan-guide. It's pretty. So yeah.

In this chapter you'll meet the Higurashis. All their names come from various anime. I'm not trying to suggest that those anime charas are making cameos in my fic, I'm just sorta borrowing their names and personalities. (grins)

And since I use the Japanese names I put in a few Japanese terms where applicable and canon. Mainly just things like Yuugi and Yami's nicknames for each other, etc... Oh, and I refer to the spirit of the Ring as Bakura, 'cause that was his name in ancient Egypt.

I had to take out my review responses because FanFiction apparently counts that as 'interaction'....

**&&&&**

**(Rishid's POV) **

That night, Isis-sama had cried herself to sleep. I held her the whole time. Somehow, the more she thought about it, the more probable Malik-sama's supposed death became. She was sick with worry, but exhaustion had overtaken her.

I had planned to keep vigil that night, knowing that tonight above all nights I had to protect her – my sister. If Malik-sama is truly dead – heaven forbid – then I...I've failed him.

I've failed my mother.

I promised her...it was her dying wish, for me to protect Isis-sama and Malik-sama.

And now...Malik-sama...

One way or another, though (perhaps the steady sound of Isis-sama's breathing had done the trick), I gave way to sleep as well.

And then we had the dream.

My eyes snapped open, forgetting for a moment where I was, but when he felt Isis-sama stirring in my arms it all came back. She too was awake, and she looked up at me, her eyes questioning.

"Rishid..." she whispered. "I had a dream."

"He...Malik-sama...was fighting against...It," I said slowly. The horrors that Malik-sama used to hold deep inside his mind...It was a completely separate entity, compiled of nothing but darkness.

"Do you think," Isis-sama began, hopefully, sitting up, "that our brother is alive? Maybe...maybe the dream was a sign. The Darkness...do you remember what the Darkness said? It said...It said we are dead. If it was a sign...then perhaps Malik...perhaps the Ghouls have lied to him as well."  
  
She sighed worriedly, leaning against me, and I flinched and pulled away. "Owch."  
  
"I'm sorry!" Isis-sama apologized, realizing she'd leaned on my injured arm.  
  
"It's alright," I told her, getting up and stretching. I consulted the watch I kept in my pocket - "Nearly morning," I reported, sinking into a metal folding chair in the corner of the room.  
  
Isis-sama sat on her knees next to me, resting her head on my knee. I was...rather confused. "Do you think Malik's alright?" she asked quietly, the dream obviously still weighing heavily on her mind.  
  
I couldn't help it. My surprised expression melted into a smile. I stroked her hair. "I'm sure he is."  
  
Isis-sama is the strong one, always calm, but one wouldn't want to make her angry...Even then she does not lose her temper like others do. I myself have gotten angrier than I'd like to admit on occasions, and Malik-sama...well, he's always been hot-tempered, even if now he does keep a better hand on his rage.

Even so...there are times when Isis-sama is afraid as well, times when her façade slips and she is helpless, like we all are sometimes.

Just like on that cold dark night, nearly seven years ago...It was December 23rd...Malik-sama's 10th birthday. Isis-sama had laid her head on my lap that night as well, crying with fear for her brother's life. "I don't want to be an Ishtar," she had sobbed.  
  
It wasn't the first time she had felt that way.  
  
**_Flashback_**  
  
A very pregnant Mrs. Ishtar sat on her daughter's bed, holding a book in her lap. 4-year-old Isis and 9-year-old Rishid sat on either side of their mother, leaning against her as she flipped through the pages.  
  
"What's that?" Isis asked in awe, pointing to one of the photographs.  
  
"That's a place called Niagara Falls," Mrs. Ishtar replied.  
  
"It's...pretty," Isis whispered, stroking the path of the falling water with a chubby finger. It was a book unlike any other the two children had ever seen - it had true, color photographs. "Can we go there?" Isis asked eagerly.  
  
Rishid opened his mouth to say something, knowing that, as Ishtars, it was impossible for them to see the landmark.  
  
"I'm afraid it's very, very far from here," Mrs. Ishtar said quickly. She flipped a few pages further, to a map. "See?" she said, pointing. "This is where the falls are," she pointed to Egypt, "and this is where we are."  
  
"Oh," Isis said, her voice dejected.  
  
"But, Isis, sweetheart, I need to ask you a favor." Her mother paused. "When the baby is born...will you show them this book?"  
  
Isis nodded resolutely. "I promise." She laid a hand on her mother's stomach, as if swearing an oath. Suddenly, she drew her hand back in surprise. She stared at her mother and Rishid in shock.  
  
"Did you feel a kick?" Mrs. Ishtar asked, smiling. Isis nodded slowly, her eyes nearly falling out of her sockets. Mrs. Ishtar laughed at the expression on her daughter's face, but Rishid stared at the ground. His mother had told him that it was possible she wouldn't survive the baby's birth.  
  
"Mother," he'd gasped. "O...of course you will." He couldn't imagine life without her...  
  
"I wanna show Daddy the book!" Isis exclaimed suddenly, taking the book from her mother's lap and hopping off the bed. "Daaaddy!" she called. "Come here!"  
  
Mrs. Ishtar panicked.  
  
Rishid jumped to his feet, scooping up his sister, book and all. Mrs. Ishtar took the book and kicked it under the bed, Isis giggling loudly as Rishid swung her in a circle.  
  
"What is it?" interrupted a gruff voice from the doorway. It was their father.  
  
"Your daughter only wanted to say goodnight," Mrs. Ishtar said, her voice slightly cool.  
  
"Oh." He turned away and walked down the hall. Mrs. Ishtar watched him, her eyes sad. But when she turned back to Rishid and Isis, the sadness was gone.  
  
"Alright, it's past your bedtime now!  
  
**&&&&**  
  
"Ri...Rishid...Where's Mommy?" Isis looked at her brother, her eyes worried.  
  
"S...she had to go for a while," Rishid said softly, his voice shaking. "She died."  
  
Isis looked at him, alarmed, her four-year-old mind registering the news. "B...but isn't dying...isn't that when you go away forever and ever, and...and..." Tears welled up in her eyes. "But...I don't want Mommy to go away!" she sobbed. "I want Mommy to stay with us and read bedtime stories, and take care of me when I'm sick...and..." The rest of her words were swallowed by sobs.  
  
Rishid was crying too, his mother's last words on his mind. _"Protect them...keep them safe...your brother and sister..." _He pulled her onto his lap, and they cried together.  
  
**&&&&**  
  
It happened over six years later. Rishid had just turned fifteen; Isis had turned eleven the month before. Malik, of course, was six years old, the baby of the family. Not that he minded. He rather liked being the center of attention.  
  
Isis had just tucked him in for the night and was ready to go to sleep herself when Rishid walked by. "Your father wants to see you in the study," he informed her.  
  
She made her way down the hall, wondering what it was her father wanted. She hesitantly walked inside. "...Father?"  
  
Suddenly, something heavy struck the side of her head and cried out, falling to the floor in a heap.  
  
She looked up, the room spinning, wondering what had hit her. She saw her father standing over her, livid, the book in his hand.  
  
Isis gasped. She'd only recently rediscovered the book, remembering her promise to show it to the baby once they were born.  
  
"Where did you get this!?" her father demanded, as Isis clambered to her feet. "Did the servant give it to you!?"  
  
Isis began to get angry as well. "He has a name!" she cried. "It's _Rishid_!  
  
"But you don't know that, do you!?" She was getting angrier by the minute. "And you don't care! You don't care about us at all - only Malik - just because he's your heir! You don't know a thing about him, do you!? You don't know his dreams, and what he's afraid of, and what he likes to do! _AND YOU DON'T CARE_!"  
  
Without warning, he slapped her hard across the cheek.  
  
"_SILENCE!_ I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO IN THAT MANNER!" Suddenly, he whirled around and flung the book into the fireplace behind him.  
  
"NO!" Isis screamed, stepping back in horror. "T-that was Mother's!"  
  
There was a terrible silence as the book burned. Isis turned and began to run, away from her father.  
  
"Do not leave unless you are excused!" he snapped. She froze.  
  
"M....may I go now?" she whispered, using all her willpower not to burst into tears right then.  
  
"Get out of my sight."  
  
She ran, her feet pounding on the stone. She leaned against the wall, catching her breath. Isis slid to the floor, bitter tears running down her cheeks. She sobbed silently. "I don't...I don't want to be an Ishtar anymore."  
  
Rishid had been in another room, hearing everything. He stood there, eyes wide, and turned to leave the room when he heard a voice.  
  
"Nee...san?"  
  
Isis looked up, seeing Malik standing there, watching her, concerned. She turned to him, shaking, wiping the tears off her cheeks.  
  
"I...I heard yelling," Malik said, his eyes wide. "And I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Well, I-I'm alright," Isis lied, despite the fresh tears on her face, and of course Malik knew something was wrong.  
  
Malik, trying to smile comfortingly, pulled up his sleeve and wiped away his sister's tears. He didn't know why she was upset, but he wanted to make it better, the way she always made him feel better.

Isis stared at him for a moment, surprised, before wrapping her arms around him and sobbing into his shoulder.

Isis wasn't even sure who all she was crying for. There was Malik...he didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve the fate he'd been handing, didn't deserve to never see the wonders the world held. She was crying for her mother, because she never got a chance to hold the beautiful child that was her own, nor tell him bedtime stories, nor take care of him when he was sick. Isis realized she was also crying for her father, because he'd never know who his son truly was.

Rishid came out into the hallway then, telling Isis to go on to bed, promising to put Malik back to bed.

The oldest Ishtar later walked into his sister's room, knowing that, though the lights were out, she was not really asleep. He sat on the edge of her bed, and suddenly she sat up, throwing her arms around him and biting back a sob. "R...Rishid," she choked. "He burned the book."

"I know," he said sadly, rocking her back and forth. "I know."

**_End Flashback_**

(**Back to narrator POV**)

"Do you want to know why I smiled at you earlier?" Rishid said suddenly. Isis looked up at him, her eyes questioning. Rishid was smiling now.

"It's because you remind me so much of our mother."

She smiled back. But the smile disappeared, and she stared at the floor.

"Isis-sama, what's wrong?"

She didn't look up. "Rishid.....you don't have to continue using '-sama'..." Isis watched the floor tiles blend together, humor gone, urgency in her voice.

"Rishid......we never viewed you as a servant. You always have been – and you always will be – our brother. Oniisan......you know that, don't you?"

He blinked, and smiled. "Yes," he said finally. The smile faded. "It's just that...Ishtar-sama always..."

Isis grabbed his hand. "Let's not talk about him tonight." She paused. "I'm sorry, Rishid. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's alright... Isis," Rishid said quietly, folding her in his arms again.

It was the one thing she honestly feared most of all – losing her brothers. Rishid and Malik left the night after their father had been killed, and Battle City occurred five years later.

Three years went by, and she had nothing to go on as to the whereabouts of her brothers except for the fleeting visions the Tauk had given her.

She worked in a museum, listening, waiting, and she grew up. Pegasus had approached her, with the Kami No Cards, and shortly thereafter the Ghouls emerged.

Isis remembered the purple robes well – she'd seen them in her vision. She was getting close – closer to her brothers.

One night, she got a tip from an anonymous call that there would supposedly be a break-in at the museum where she currently worked, and, although normally she would've just let the police know and let them handle it, she went and waited herself.

There was a chance – a small one, but a chance nonetheless – that she'd see her brothers again. And maybe...maybe she'd be able to talk Malik out of his rage.

Her brothers came, all right; but things did not go as planned.

"Neesan...It's been a long time," he'd smirked.

Isis was rather _stunned_. Here was her little brother – 14, going on 15, and plotting world domination!? Where had the boy she'd known gone? The hot-tempered, wide-eyed boy who poked his nose in everything, the boy with bigger dreams than the cloudless Egyptian sky, and a heart to match...? Where was he?

And Rishid...when she saw him there, waiting outside, the gun in his hand...He turned to her, and his eyes said everything. "I'm sorry," they said. "I have to do this."

She cried that night, for the first time since she first discovered they were gone. She'd gotten her wish; she'd seen her brothers, but now she knew. She knew what three years of darkness and rage had done to her little brother, seen the pain and torn loyalty in her elder's eyes.

Ignorance is bliss.

That's when it hit her full in the face, the magnitude of what she'd done by taking Malik above ground.

_Ignorance is bliss._

He wasn't meant to know about the world above. He shouldn't know.

She had bore that guilt for a while, until the end of Battle City, and she realized...If not for all the pain they'd suffered, they wouldn't the family they'd grown to be.

"...Isis?" Rishid's voice brought her back from her reverie. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," she said quietly, smiling slightly. "Just...the past...but it happened a long time ago..." She stifled a yawn, beginning to dose.

'Malik...Please...stay safe.'

**&&&&**

(Now, back to Domino...)

Malik knew he would have to go to Yuugi's first thing that morning. He had to tell them about the dream.

But before he could get out the door, the doorbell rang, and, sure enough, the whole gang was there – including Mai and Shizuka. Malik blinked at them all.

"Hi, Malik!" Mokuba smiled. Malik had to smile himself, ruffling his friend's hair.

"Morning, Malik-kun!" Yuugi exclaimed.

"Malik-san..." Shizuka said softly. "Hi." She squeezed his hand.

"How ya doing, kid?" Mai asked, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"Um...Well...I had this dream..." Malik chewed his lip. "Maybe you all better come inside."

**&&&&**

"So, you think maybe the dream is a sign?" Ryou asked, once Malik was finished explaining. The Egyptian nodded.

"It's crazy, I know...But if there's even the slightest chance they're alive..." Malik stared at his lap. The others looked skeptical.

"I've had some weird dreams before," Yuugi spoke up, coming to Malik's defense.

"The three of us..." Malik began uncomfortably; starting to wonder if maybe bringing up the dream hadn't been a good idea. "We have this sort-of...bond...You know, we can tell what the others are feeling, and that sort of thing..." He trailed off.

"Yeah, me and Shizuka are like that," Jounouchi nodded.

"And I -" Ryou spoke up, but froze when the others looked at him. "...Never mind," he mumbled.

Malik sighed. "This is just something that I feel. There's a chance that they're alive, and I'm going to take it," he said determinedly.

"I....if you don't want to help, that's okay," he said quietly. "I mean, I don't want you all to..." He trailed off. For a moment, no one said anything.

"What're you talking about!?" Jounouchi demanded suddenly. "Of course we're going to help, you idiot!"

Malik smiled, but he didn't say anything.

"Well, if we're going to find them, the first thing we need is a lead," Mai said, her tone matter-of-fact.

"And where are we going to find a lead?" Honda wondered.

"The last place where Isis and Rishid were seen," Yuugi offered. "Domino Museum."

"You up to going there, Malik?" Anzu asked, concerned. Malik nodded resolutely.

"Mai's right," he said. "We need an idea as to where to start looking."

"How do we get into the museum?" Jounouchi asked. "It's been closed since...it happened."

"Niisama practically owns the police," Mokuba said, pleased that he could help his friends. "He can get us in."

**&&&&**

(**A/N**: 'Yakuza' basically means 'Japanese mafia'.)

The group found themselves being escorted through the Domino Museum by police officers an hour later, while Seto Kaiba stood outside the door explaining to the security guards outside the nature of their situation. The gang decided they'd cover more ground if they split up.

One would have no idea that a kidnapping had taken place here. The museum looked as it always had. But Malik and Yuugi ventured into Isis' office, and one could see something was amiss. The chair behind the desk was still overturned, and papers remained scattered all over the floor.

"She'll hate to see this mess," Malik said softly, going behind the desk and setting the chair upright. He slowly began to gather up the fallen papers. Yuugi watched him, his violet eyes sad.

"H-hey, you can't do that – don't touch anything! This is a crime scene!" the police officer protested, agape.

"Yo, shut up and leave him alone," Jounouchi growled, coming up behind the policeman.

The policeman shut up and left Malik alone.

"Find anything?" Yuugi asked, going over and crouching next to Malik.

Malik shook his head. "But...there's got to be something, something in here...." He chewed his lip.

And then a sudden, gust of wind blew a bunch of papers at them.

"What the heck?!" Jounouchi exclaimed, walking around to the two of them. "There's no windows in here!"

Yuugi's jaw dropped, but Malik simply began gathering up papers, when one fell onto the floor. It was a small piece, like something one would tear off of a notepad, with something scrawled across it.

"Hey, guys, look at this," Malik said, his voice rising with excitement. "I think this is a lead."

" 'The Black Knight', " Yuugi read out loud. " 'Pier 3 – warehouse.' "

Malik blinked. "What does that mean?"

"It means the Ghouls have bitten off way more than they can chew," Kaiba said, having entered the room with Mokuba when no one was watching. "The Black Knight...he's black market stuff. We're dealing with the yakuza, here."

"Niisama looked into them once, 'cause a while back there were a bunch of shady guys working at Kaiba Corp.," Mokuba added.

"So the Ghouls are getting involved with the mafia?" Yuugi asked.

"It looks that way. This is shaping up to be a very dangerous task," Kaiba said grimly.

"C'mon!" Malik said suddenly, running out of the room with Mokuba. "We have to tell the others!"

"Don't touch anyyyything! This is a crime sceeene!" Jounouchi mock-whined as they left the room and he passed the police officer. The officer just glared.

**&&&&**

(A/N: Yes, I am aware that the warehouse where we were first introduced to Malik was not on a pier, but that's what I'm doing for this story. XD)

Later that day, as the sun was going down, the group was making its way down to pier 3 of Domino's port.

"I feel bad for Mokuba-kun," Anzu commented.

"Yeah, we'll have to tell him all about it," Honda answered.

Kaiba, of course, had told Mokuba he could not come. "But I want to help!" Mokuba had said. "You're always treating me like a little kid!"

Kaiba had looked toward the others with an almost imploring expression on his face.

"You know how you can help?" Yuugi had jumped in. "You can sort of run headquarters."

"Yuugi's right," Anzu had put in. "Who knows where we'll have to go? You can find information on where we'll have to go, and relay it back."

"And if something happens back here in Domino, you can be the first to tell us about it," Malik then added. And so, Mokuba reluctantly stayed behind.

They had reached the entrance to Domino Port when Mai suddenly paused.

"Hey, I don't think we should all go see this guy," she jumped in. "I mean, they'll be looking for Malik, right? And the whole group of us is sure to cause some suspicion."

"Me and Honda will go," Jounouchi said. "We're the toughest looking ones, right?"

The rest sweatdropped. "Sure, Jounouchi, go ahead and think that," Anzu mumbled to herself.

"Alright, we'll be back, then," Honda said, his tone a little nervous.

With that, the group split up, Honda and Jounouchi making their way to Pier 3.

**&&&&**

"Hey, Malik-kun?" Yuugi asked suddenly, a little while later. He was watching pier 3.

"Mm?"

"D'ya recognize the warehouse at the pier over?"

Malik squinted at the warehouse, nearly burned to the ground. ".....y-yeah, I do..."

"It's where I met you for the first time!" Yuugi beamed.

"M-met you?" Malik blinked.

"Uh-huh," Yuugi nodded. "Don't tell me you've forgotten..."

Malik looked at him for a second, and then smiled. "Nope, of course I haven't forgotten."

**&&&&**

"Excuse me, boys, may I help you?" came an oily voice from behind Jounouchi and Honda. The two boys had been poking around the warehouse, and they jumped in surprise.

Jounouchi made a big show about pretending to look around to make sure no one could hear them. "Yo....you the Black Knight?" he asked.

"Who's asking?" the oily-voiced man asked.

"Just a couple of guys interested in what the Ghouls have to offer," Jounouchi answered.

"Oh, I see," the man answered, amused. "Well, yes, I am the Black Knight."

"You see," Honda began, venturing out onto a limb, "word on the street is that you're the guy to see if you interested in joining the Ghouls."

The Black Knight snorted. "Dunno what street you two come from, because I'm afraid your mistaken. Come here...step into my 'office'." He gestured them into a small room to the side, and stepped over the papers and boxes piled everywhere. Jounouchi and Honda stumbled over his things, trying not to notice the unidentifiable dark stains on the blue carpet.

"If you wanna join, this is the guy you need to talk to," the Knight told them, scrawling an address on a piece of paper.

"All the way in Osaka?" Jounouchi asked in disappointment, reading the paper.

The Knight shrugged. "That's life, kid."

"Well, thanks for the help, then," Honda said, waving. "We'll be going."

"See ya 'round, boys," the Knight answered.

He watched out the window, and waited until they were far from the warehouse.

Smirking, he picked up the phone on his desk and dialed something. "Hey....Boss, guess what? The blond one and the one with the pointy head just left. They're headed Higurashi's way."

**&&&&**

A few hours later, the gang stood outside the Kame Game Shop, saying their farewells to Mr. Mutou.

"Now then, you all won't be gone long?" Mr. Mutou asked.

"Don't worry, Jiichan, we'll be back soon," Yuugi grinned confidently.

"And you'll all be in one piece?"

The group nodded. Mr. Mutou turned to Malik.

"And I expect you'll all be returning with all three of the Ishtars," he added solemnly, but his eyes were smiling.

Malik smiled back, nodding resolutely.

**&&&&**

'Higurashi' appeared an easygoing average man. But the gang knew better, as they approached what they expected to be his headquarters in Osaka.

What they found was a middle-class two-story home, nestled in a more suburban area of Osaka.

"Honda-kun, Jounouchi-kun...you two go ahead. We'll wait out here, I guess," Yuugi blinked.

Honda and Jounouchi nodded, stepping up to the door. The rest of the gang went around the house and crouched in the bushes to wait.

Not exactly sure what to do, Jounouchi reached out and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and a middle-aged man with a boyish face appeared.

"You the guy we should talk to about joining the Ghouls?" Honda asked abruptly.

The man blinked, then sighed resignedly. "Yes, that's me. What do a couple of kids like you want to do with the Ghouls?"

"It sounds like, uh, fun?" Jounouchi offered. The man raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, follow me," he said, rolling his eyes slightly. He led them inside the house, and Jounouchi and Honda were startled to see the items one would see in an ordinary family home – including photographs of two children.

"Look, don't you two have family or something?" the man asked, still obviously skeptical. "You don't want to be involved with people like-"

"HIKARUUU!"

The man froze, a female voice echoing through the house.

"Oh, boy....Miyuki's home..." the man winced.

"W-who's Miyuki?" Honda asked cautiously.

"My wife."

"I'm guessing you didn't know about the kids hiding in the garden out front, huh!?" Miyuki demanded, striding down the dark hallway, yanking an indignant Malik along by the wrist and a sheepish Yuugi by the ear, the others following timidly behind her.

"Friends of yours?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow at Jounouchi and Honda.

They hesitated. How could they get out of this one?

Yuugi stepped forward. "Look....to be honest....We're kind of on a rescue mission."

"You have a family?" Jounouchi asked. Miyuki's fiery demeanor cooled. She nodded.

"Two children – Yuki's our girl, she's 6, and her big brother, Kyou," she said.

"They'll be home from school soon," the man added.

"What are you all doing, being involved with the Ghouls?" Ryou wanted to know.

Miyuki sighed. "Hikaru....he...heard them talking, once. So, to keep him quiet -"

"They've got you under a 'contract'. You have to do work for them, and give them money, and in return they won't kill you," Malik interrupted. He looked down at the floor. He should know...he was the one who'd started that practice, after all.

Hikaru looked at him oddly. "Alright, now it's time we asked some questions. Who are you all, for starters, and who are you trying to rescue?"

"I'm Malik Ishtar," Malik said quietly.

"Leader of the Ghouls," Hikaru said, a statement rather than a question. Malik winced at the incrimination.

"_Former_ leader," Yuugi corrected, noting Malik's discomfort.

"Pff, so we're to believe you're sorry or something?" Miyuki snorted. "We're to believe you all don't really have anything to do with the Ghouls?"

Malik was staring at the floor, bangs falling in front of his eyes. He said nothing. Hikaru was watching him, his eyes critical, but not harsh.

"Why are we going to believe a word you say?" Miyuki continued. "_You're_ the reason we're in this mess. _You're_ the reason our children have no future. You-"

"Miyuki, that's enough," Hikaru said softly. Malik was shaking. "It's someone important to you, isn't it? The person the Ghouls have?" Hikaru guessed, stepping in front of Malik.

Malik nodded. "The one Ghoul who was with me all the time – do you know who he was?"

Hikaru thought for a moment. "The tall one, right? With the ponytail?" Malik nodded again.

"He's my adoptive older brother. Rishid. He served my family, back when we were all younger...when I went to form the Ghouls he went with me. I used to think it was just because as my servant, he had to. But now I realize....it was so I wouldn't be alone in the darkness...he's my brother; he was protecting me.

"We left our sister behind – my neesan, Isis. She...she never gave up hope that we'd go home together. I...I don't remember my real mother. She died a long time ago...so Neesan...she's always been like my mother, in a way..."

"Is it revenge the Ghouls are after?" Hikaru asked quietly.

Malik nodded. "Please!" he burst out suddenly. "They're all I have left...you have to...you have to believe me." He bit back a sob.

"Alright, alright, we believe you," Hikaru said, smiling, his words fairly rough but his tone lacking harshness.

Suddenly, there was a click as the front door was unlocked and opened.

"We're home!" two children's voices rang out.

"Welcome back," Hikaru answered, as two pairs of feet thundered down the hall.

"How was your day?" Miyuki asked, her two children stopping short at the sight of the group of teenagers clustered in their living room.

The boy, Kyou, had wide hazel eyes, and his mother's dark hair, with a touch of red. Yuki, the girl, had purple eyes, a deeper shade than Malik's. Her hair was rather bluish-purple as well.

"Don't stare," Hikaru admonished them. "It's rude."

"It's alright," Yuugi spoke up. "I guess you don't get company often?"

"Kids, these guys came all the way from Tokyo," Hikaru explained. "They've got some business to take care of, and we're giving them a hand." It was amazing, how easygoing and carefree he spoke, despite the fact that he was forced to work with killers.

"We're going to give them a place to stay tonight!" Hikaru added, grinning.

"You _are_!?" the gang repeated.

"We _are_!?" Miyuki repeated.

"T....then I'm gonna show you my room!!" Yuki cried, grabbing Anzu and Mai by the hands and dragging them off.

**&&&&**

Yuki and Kyou were enamored with their new playmates. Yuki, despite being younger, was rather bossy, able to get her brother to do pretty much anything she asked. Kyou thought the teenagers were the most admirable people on the planet. He was into Duel Monsters as well, getting out his rather shoddily constructed deck and showing off his 'dueling skills' to Yuugi and Jounouchi.

_/Mou hitori no boku, I'm _not _letting you duel an 8-year-old!/ _Yuugi had protested loudly through their mind link.

_Oh, fine, aibou...be that way._ Yami therefore spent the evening sulking in his soul room.

At nine-thirty, Miyuki and Hikaru came into the living room, where everyone was congregated.

"Okay, Kyou, Yuki, it's -" Miyuki stopped short, noticing Yuki slumbering in Ryou's lap, and Kyou sleeping against Jounouchi's shoulder.

"...he's drooling on me..." Jounouchi sighed, giving the parents a pleading look.

Hikaru grinned and scooped Kyou into his arms. Miyuki turned to Ryou.

"I'm going to have to kidnap you," she said in awe. The white-haired boy blinked surprised at her. "You got Yuki to go sleep with no effort..."

"She...she likes it when you stroke her hair," Ryou mumbled, embarrassed, handing the sleeping girl to her mother. "I found her to be really quite nice."

Miyuki chuckled ruefully. "The sitters all think she's a nightmare. But then, that's our Yuki for you..."

A while later, sleeping arrangements had been made. Anzu and Mai would take the bed in the guest room, while the boys would spread out in the living room.

Jounouchi grumbled about the girls getting their own room, but when _both_ Anzu and Mai backhanded him he decided he'd better quit complaining.

It was late, and they'd all settled into their respective 'beds', Mai and Anzu still talking with the boys in the living room.

"So, really, Bakura-kun..." Anzu began out of curiosity, "you were pretty good with Yuki and Kyou, especially Yuki. How did you learn to take care of kids like that?"

Ryou froze. "W...well," he said slowly, "a long time ago...when I was younger...I used to take care of this little girl, when her parents weren't around...Her father often worked abroad, and her mother was a schoolteacher. So I...I got to know her very well." He could sense Bakura staring at him. Malik was staring at him as well – Malik and Bakura were the only ones who knew about her. The others just seemed curious.

Ryou took a deep breath, staring at the floor. "But one day...We were walking home from school...I – I wasn't really watching where she was going, and she ran across the s-street..."

"Sorry," Jounouchi said quietly, and the others mumbled in agreement.

Ryou shook his head, suddenly fighting back tears. "You don't get it! Her name was Amane...she...she was my sister!" he burst out, tears spilling over his cheeks.

They all stared at him in shock...they hadn't seen that one coming.

Malik looked sympathetic, having quite an idea as to how Ryou was feeling.

Jounouchi tried to imagine life without Shizuka, and an involuntary shudder ran up and down his spine. Ryou changed a lot in his eyes at that moment.

Ryou wiped at the tears on his cheek with the back of his sleeve.

"Here," a soft voice said. He looked up. Anzu was handing him a handkerchief.

**&&&&**

(**A/N**: Once again, not shounen-ai, but it's up to your interpretation.)

Bakura was sitting in his soul room, thinking. The room would feel bare and forbidding to most, including Ryou, but, as Bakura once realized dryly, one gets a little attached to a place one is trapped in for three thousand years, no matter what the place looks like. He knew why Ryou didn't like the room, though – it was the marks. All four walls and portions of the floor were covered in tally marks – single jagged lines cut into stone that marked every day Bakura should've been spending in the afterlife, instead of wasting his sanity inside this box. "Ha!" the marks seemed to cry smugly. "You brought this upon yourself, you idiot!"

But tonight Bakura wasn't thinking about marks. He was thinking about Ryou.

He'd actually told them about Amane...

Bakura had honestly been wishing for a while that Ryou would tell them.

He knew the reason Ryou kept his past a secret was because he was afraid of opening up. And he was afraid of opening up because of him, Bakura.

Ryou had received the Sennen Ring only weeks before Amane was killed. Bakura had hated the girl, because, for some reason, she could sense Bakura's dark presence in the Sennen Ring.

"Oniichan..." she'd said once, looking up at Ryou with wide, concerned, chocolate eyes. "I think...I think there's a bad man in your necklace."

When she'd died, Bakura had laughed, realizing that now, he could begin to reveal himself and set his plan for stealing the Items in motion.

But recently it had slowly begun to dawn on the thief what was happening – Ryou was shutting himself off all because of the argumentative, sardonic spirit that lived in the Sennen Ring.

Bakura begun to see himself in the boy – he saw one who'd loved and lost, one who desired nothing but a kindred soul to confide in. And, after all the chaos that had come of him trying to take the Sennen Rod, he began to wonder if just maybe the Items were better remaining in the hands of their current owners.

"Maybe," interrupted a voice from the doorway, "maybe revenge isn't even what Kuruelna wants. The people there loved you, right? So maybe...maybe all they need is for you to be happy."

Bakura spun around to face Ryou, standing in the doorway, scratching the back of his neck.

"Don't talk about things you don't know," Bakura snapped, but he didn't seem truly angry. He stared at the floor, tracing his fingers along one of the marks.

"It's just a hunch," Ryou shrugged.

"Why aren't you asleep, anyway?" Bakura asked. Now it was Ryou's turn to become rather uncomfortable.

"Because...because I'm afraid I'll dream about her tonight."

"...Oh. A...Are you glad you told them? About Amane, I mean."

Ryou scuffed at the ground. "Are _you_ glad I told them?" he answered.

"Just how much of my thoughts were you listening in on, anyway?" Bakura asked, rather alarmed.

"I only heard what you were thinking about the Items..." Ryou said, looking at the thief curiously. Bakura shrugged.

Ryou let the subject drop. It was time to translate some more Bakura-speak.

Ryou had slowly begun to discover that what the thief said was not always what he meant, and was gradually learning _what_ he meant when he said things.

"What are you doing, ogling me in the doorway?" Bakura demanded suddenly. Ryou shrugged. Ryou's translation – 'Sit. Over here.' Ryou crossed the room and sat next to the spirit.

"Do you think...?" Ryou stared at his feet. "Do you think Isis and Rishid are alive?"

Bakura shrugged.

"I...I hope they are," Ryou said earnestly.

"It'll be a shame if we've come all this way for nothing," Bakura answered quietly. Ryou's translation – 'Me too.'

Because in Bakura's eyes, Malik was one of the few people left in this world with any brains. He'd been secretly impressed with the Egyptian and his manipulative ways when they first met, though he'd quickly gotten annoyed with Malik's bossing. And Ryou – Malik had nearly gotten Ryou _killed_! And for what – a piece of cardboard!

But then...Yami Malik came.

It was during the Jounouchi/Rishid duel, of course. Bakura wasn't sure where he'd been sent after taking the hit from Osiris, but it felt like half of him remained in Ryou, and the other half was flung into oblivion. Ryou, rather dazed after everything that had happened, had been stumbling around in his mind when he heard the screams.

After Malik placed a piece of himself inside Ryou, he'd had his own addition to the corridors that made up Ryou's mind – a soul room, more or less.

He'd been screaming in pain and anguish, and when Ryou ran to see what was the matter Malik turned to him, his eyes wide and panicked. "_GET AWAY FROM ME!!_" he'd screamed, terrified of the darkness that clawed at his very mind and terrified of what this darkness would do to the blameless people around him.

After that duel and Yami Malik's emergence, Malik remained holed up in his 'soul room'. Bakura's mind came back from limbo, and Ryou stayed off to the side, a little afraid of everything that was going on.

But then they heard the door to Malik's 'soul room' open, and Ryou and Bakura went to see what he was doing. Malik stood there, weak and broken, staring at the two with pleading eyes.

"He...he's going to kill my brother," Malik whispered, before falling to his knees, breaking down.

So Bakura and Malik went off to fight Yami Malik.

That's when Bakura's opinion of Malik changed. He wasn't sure exactly _why_ it was, but something about the Egyptian's slightly warped honor code struck him as admirable.

Back in the present, Ryou yawned widely.

"You should go to sleep," Bakura said gruffly.

"I...I'm afraid -"

"Yeah, yeah, I know...Amane..." Bakura looked away. "I-if you start dreaming, I'll wake you up."

Ryou didn't know how to translate that one.

**&&&&**

Back in Domino, all was silent. Most of its inhabitants were asleep – one who was not sat at a computer monitor, fingers flying over the keys.

Seto Kaiba sighed, leaning back in his chair and looking at his little brother who lay asleep on the couch behind him, Seto's trench coat draped over him.

It was nearly five in the morning; Seto had pulled an all-nighter without meaning too. He knew Mokuba hated when he didn't sleep.

Mokuba was worried terribly about his friends, and Seto, not exactly wanting his little brother alone in the house while Ghouls and other shady characters could possibly be skulking around Domino, had the limo bring Mokuba from the house to his office. Besides, he knew how alone and afraid Mokuba was feeling.

Just then, the phone rang, and Seto hurriedly grabbed it, glancing over to make sure Mokuba was still asleep. His brother stirred, but remained in slumber.

"Kaiba," Seto answered in his usual way, his voice low.

"K-Kaiba-sama!" the voice on the other line cried in panic. "There's...there's a break-in! They're armed and -" He was cut off, and a scream of pain echoed on the other side.

_Click_.

Seto stared in shock as the phone went dead. His fingers flew over the keys once again, pulling up a window that monitored the activity at the company headquarters, using security cameras that were posted on the property.

Watching the action down at the entrance, Seto saw a few of his guards lying there – unconscious, or worse. And then he saw, running down the halls, getting closer to his office –

"Ghouls."

Seto leapt to his feet and scooped up Mokuba, coat and all.

Mokuba began to wake, clinging to his brother's shirt as Seto dashed down the hall. He reached a room with a keypad to the side and pressed his forefinger against the fingerprint reader.

"C'mon, you damn thing, hurry it up," Seto muttered under his breath, as the computer read his fingerprint. He could hear voices. Finally, the door opened, admitting him.

He ran inside, slamming the door behind him, setting a now-awake Mokuba on the floor.

"Niisama, what's going on?" Mokuba asked, blinking, fearful. Seto didn't answer, turning and entering a combination into a safe on the wall. It opened, and he yanked out a wad of bills.

"Here," he said, handing them to Mokuba. "Do you have Anzu's phone number?" he asked urgently.

Mokuba nodded slowly. "Niisama, what-" Then he heard the pounding footsteps outside, and the banging on the door.

"We know you're in here!" voices on the other side cried gruffly.

Mokuba clung to Seto in fear.

The door swung open, the Ghouls entering, brandishing various weapons.

Mokuba cried out, as Seto grabbed him by the back of his shirt and shoved him into the closet in the corner of the room and slammed the door.

"LOCK IT!" the elder Kaiba roared, swinging his fist into the Ghoul's gut.

Mokuba, shaking all over, locked the door, just as he heard someone jiggle the doorknob.

"GET AWAY FROM THERE!" Seto yelled.

A struggle ensued, one that Mokuba could only hear, and hope that it was the Ghouls he heard getting hurt, and not his brother.

Finally, there was the sound of a lifeless body being drug across the carpet, and silence.

Mokuba stood there, shaking all over, his breathing ragged. He slowly unlocked the door. "Nii...niisama...?"

No answer.

He swung the door open, or at least tried too. Something was in the way; it wouldn't open.

"Niisama!" Mokuba cried in panic. "Help!" He gave the door a mighty shove, moving the overturned chair that had been blocking the door. Mokuba flew out of the closet and landed hard on the floor, falling onto Seto's trench coat, crumpled and forgotten on the floor.

"Ow," he whimpered, slowly getting to his feet, taking the coat with him.

Everyone was gone.

"Niisama!" Mokuba cried, turning and running back down the hall. Tears welled in his eyes. "NIISAMA!"

He reached his brother's office, the window monitoring the premises still open. To his horror, Mokuba saw a group of four or five Ghouls throwing his brother's lifeless body into a car, then piling into it and driving off at top speed.

"NIISAMA!! _NIISAMA!!_"

Mokuba clutched the coat, biting back sobs. He couldn't lose his head. He had to stay cool for his brother's sake. He grabbed the phone, dialing Anzu's cell phone. She just had to pick up...she just had to.

**&&&&**

Yuugi yawned, staring out the window. The sun was beginning to rise, bathing the room in a bluish, translucent glow. It was probably about five in the morning. He hadn't really slept well that night...

Suddenly, he heard it – the ringing. It took him a moment to realize it was a ringing cell phone. He looked down the hall to the guest room, where Mai and Anzu had slept. Was it Anzu's cell phone?

Sure enough, he then heard a sleepy Anzu from down the hall – "Hullo?"

There was a pause, then she gasped. "Mokuba-kun!?"

Yuugi sat up, completely alert. Anzu left the room and strode down the hall, cell phone to her ear, a worried expression on her face. "Malik!" she said, gently shaking the blond awake.

Malik hadn't slept well either, and was only dozing. "Wh-what is it?" he asked, blinking at her.

"It's Mokuba-kun!" Anzu said, handing the phone to him. "He said he wanted to talk to you."

"Mokuba?" Malik asked, taking the phone. "Are you okay?" Malik listened for a while, his eyes growing wide.

"Kaiba's been kidnapped!?" he repeated incredulously. Yuugi and Anzu stared in shock, the others beginning to wake as well.

They heard Mokuba's panicked tone from the other side. "Alright, just take a deep breath," Malik said quietly. Malik chewed his lip in thought.

"He should come here," Yuugi said slowly.

"Mokuba, do you have any money? Can you get some?" Malik asked. He listened. "Alright, Mokuba, here's what I need you to do – I need you to get to the train station and take the train to Osaka, okay? That's where we are. Someone will be waiting for you at the station when you get here." He sighed heavily.

"Everything's going to be alright, I promise. Goodbye," he said softly. He hung up the phone, handing it back to Anzu.

By now, everyone was awake, more or less, and just then they heard footsteps coming from the stairway. Hikaru poked his head in the living room. "I heard voices...what's going on?"

"Hikaru-san...where are the Ghouls hiding my siblings?" Malik wanted to know, his voice low and urgent.

**&&&&**

"In Nagasaki?" Honda repeated. The gang was now clustered in the kitchen, Hikaru brewing a pot of coffee. He nodded.

"Their headquarters is in – surprise, surprise – an old abandoned warehouse," he answered.

"The Ghouls have a bit of a warehouse-fetish, huh?" Jounouchi commented.

"What's the best way to get to Nagasaki?" Mai asked, leaning against the table.

"The train, of course," Hikaru answered. He chewed his lip in thought. "Well, you...Wait, who all is going?"

"I'm going," Malik answered resolutely. "Alone."

"WHAT!?"

"No way!" Jounouchi exclaimed.

"We're in this together, Malik-kun," Ryou nodded.

Malik shook his head. "You don't understand...Kaiba's hurt, or maybe even worse, I don't know. Mokuba's more upset than I've ever seen him, and then of course...we don't know about Rishid and Neesan. It's my fault," he said heavily. "It's my fault that everyone's in this mess. First Neesan and Rishid...now the Kaiba brothers...It's because of me." His voice shook slightly.

"They don't even...The innocent are paying for _my_ crimes, don't you see? So _I_ should..." He stared down at the table.

Everyone was quiet.

"Just as well," Hikaru said suddenly. All turned to look at him. He smiled. "I only have money for train fare for one of you. Wait here." He disappeared up the stairs for a moment, returning with a silver metal box and key in hand. Hikaru unlocked it, pulling out a wad of money and handing it to Malik.

" 'Tickets'," Yuugi read the side of the box. "What's that mean, Hikaru-san?"

"This is money we've been saving to move...out of here, out of Osaka...To try and escape the Ghouls, you know," Hikaru said quickly.

"T-then I can't take this!" Malik cried in protest, pushing the money back to Hikaru. "I-it's for your family!"

Hikaru smiled. "Which is exactly why _you_ should take it."

"Ya lost me," Jounouchi blinked.

"The money is for my family – because they love me unconditionally. There were times...times when I considered ending my life, because everything seemed so hopeless, with the Ghouls. But that was a long time ago, and now...Now I realize that because I have my family, I'm still here. As long as we stay together, we can face anything."

Malik swallowed the lump in his throat. "Neesan...She said the same thing at the end of Battle City."

Hikaru smiled wider. "I have my family – now you need to reunite with yours. And that's why you're going to take the money."

**&&&&**

Mojobubbles: My computer was being stupid, hence the screwy formatting during the Rishid/Isis fluff bits.

Anzu: (ahem) Now _Kaiba's_ in danger! But now that we've found the Ghouls' hideout, will we be able to save them? Wait...what? Malik, what's wrong? That Ghoul...did _he_ kill your siblings? Next time on My Immortal - duel standby!


	3. The End

Mojobubbles: Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of My Immortal! (listening to Yuugiou movie soundtrack) This CD makes me so hyper...There's a Black-Eyed Peas song, an aggressive Kaiba song, and a song about Anubis sung by a woman. It's all so cheesy, but it's all good.

This chapter has a duel! (Or at least most of one) AUUUGH! O.o; If it weren't for (www dot) ratandfox (dot net) /YuGiOh/, the duel wouldn't be possible. That site's an amazing resource for YGO fanfiction writers.

And also about the duel - I know FGD is a fusion monster, but....for the purpose of this fic it's just a regular monster card. And Raise Dead is what the Japanese call Monster Reborn....Yeah, I just changed that 'cause I felt like it. XD The magic card that Malik uses at the end of the duel is called 'Fiend Sanctuary' in the dub, and Yami uses it against Yami M in their final duel, remember? Not sure why I decided to use that card....I guess I'm just really, really obsessed with the Yami M/Yami duel. n.n

Oh, LuckyLadybug66 gave me a bunch of fluff ideas for the monologue, and she gave me a line for the conversation between Malik and the Ghoul. She is good with evil dialogue. (nods sagely)

And all those tally marks in Bakura's soul room last chapter? I sorta kinda not-100%-intending to stole that idea from Daricio. (sweatdrop) It was subconsciously stolen. But anyway, yeah. Just giving credit where it's due.

In this chapter you'll see some slight hints at (straight) romance, and you will see some in the epilogue as well. Don't worry, those-of-you-that-are-not-into-romance – I said 'slight hints', not 'full-blown romance'. XD

I had to take out my review responses because FanFiction apparently counts that as 'interaction'....

**&&&& **

Malik picked a window seat about halfway through the car, still tense and on edge. The phone call that morning from Mokuba...it scared him. Malik settled into his seat, taking a deep breath and trying to calm down. He looked around at the people as the train began to pull out of the station.

A man had sat next to him; he was a middle-aged man who'd just pulled out a book and was reading. The book...It resurfaced a memory of a stormy night, not especially long ago...

_**Flashbacks**_

Malik sat on his bed, jumping as a loud clap of thunder echoed outside his window. With a frustrated sigh, he slapped shut the book he was to be reading for school. He couldn't concentrate anymore.

Isis was away on business, the house left in Rishid and Malik's care. He was pretty sure his brother was downstairs – reading as well, perhaps.

"I just hope the power doesn't go out," Malik said to himself, as he reached the top of the staircase. And, of course, just because he'd said that, there was a flash of light and the house was plunged into darkness.

"R-Rishid!" Malik cried in panic, tumbling down into the blackness.

**&&&& **

He felt a hand on his forehead, and he groaned.

"You're awake," came a relieved voice from above him.

Malik slowly opened his eyes. Everything was dark. He was lying on the couch, Rishid sitting next to him, watching him with concern. A flashlight lay on the coffee table next to them.

"Oh, don't tell me I fell down the stairs," Malik moaned. "I hate gravity."

Rishid laughed to himself. At least Malik felt all right enough to joke around.

Suddenly, there was another flash, followed by the roar of thunder. Malik jumped, sitting bolt upright.

"Calm down," Rishid told him, laying a hand on his arm.

Malik held his head. "I hate storms, too," he mumbled. "Storms are rage, anguish, regret..." He wrapped his arms around himself. Rishid watched his brother curiously.

"Go on," he persuaded.

"No matter how hard I try," Malik whispered, "I can't forgive myself. I can't look in the mirror and just be okay with the person I see. B-because I can't forget seeing you lying there...All my ideas of revenge, all my harsh words, all the times I'd pushed you around because I was angry...It nearly killed you, Rishid." His voice was shaking now. "Yuugi, and the others...They're my friends, the first friends I ever made outside of Egypt...But they don't understand. I can't expect them too. I – I don't even know if you and Neesan understand. Because I wish I could take it all back – I want that more than anything."

Rishid put his arm around Malik's shoulders, surprised, wondering how long the boy had been keeping this bottled inside. Malik leaned against Rishid, glad to have his brother there.

"I wish..." he whispered. "I wish I could go back and erase every unforgiving thing I ever said to you. I wish I could go back and dry every tear that Neesan ever cried...Sometimes, sometimes... I even wish I'd never been born..."

Rishid drew Malik into his arms then, his face concerned. "Everyone has things they regret, things they wish they could change...Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, Malik-sama. People were just created that way..." His words were heavy, as if he spoke from experience. Malik reflexively reached down and touched his ankle, where, if one looked hard enough, one would find two perfectly round bite marks...Malik had never been able to say he didn't mind snakes after that incident.

He looked up at Rishid. "That was so long ago, Rishid...You don't need to keep hurting yourself over it."

"Just as you have no need to continue hurting yourself over Battle City."

For a moment, neither said anything. Malik sighed. "Rishid...do you ever regret it?"

"Regret what?"

"Regret...that you were adopted as an Ishtar."

"Never," Rishid said without hesitation, holding Malik in a protective hug. "I could never regret that. How could I? If...If I hadn't been taken in as an Ishtar...I wouldn't know you, and I wouldn't know Isis-sama. It's true – we went through a lot of pain and hardships. But I would rather face that pain all over again than never have met you and your sister."

Malik smiled then, ignoring the storm that howled outside. Because he had something better than rage, anguish, and regret – he had love.

**&&&& **

That was not the only time that his siblings showed him how they loved him unconditionally.

"It was just a comment, Ishtar! Did you have to take it so seriously!?"

Malik stared at the floor of the principal's office, hiding a scowl. His arms were folded tight across his chest, and he sported a cut lip.

It _wasn't_ just a comment. The kid had been making 'comments' about his sister – comments that made his blood boil just _thinking_ about it.

He didn't usually lose his temper so suddenly...It probably had something to do with the way the students had been treating him. So they didn't accept him – why had he expected them too? He was certain that Jounouchi had something to do with his classmates' hostility; Malik knew Jounouchi still considered him an enemy, an outsider. But none of the others – _none_ – tried to quell the rumors Jounouchi had been spreading. Not even Yuugi. Not even Ryou, and he'd even told Malik Amane's story...some kind of friend he was turning out to be.

But Malik didn't need them. He had Isis and Rishid – why did he need the kids at school to accept him? He didn't.

"I'm calling your brother and sister," the principal said severely.

They arrived shortly thereafter, and Malik was sent out into the hall to wait, while his siblings had a talk with the principal.

When the three exited the office, they found the hall empty, and in the parking lot, Malik's motorcycle was gone.

"Why, in my day -" the principal began to splutter, but Isis and Rishid had already left, in hot pursuit of their brother, leaving the principal without an audience.

They found Malik on a hill, his knees drawn tight to his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs.

Isis began to walk towards him, but Rishid grabbed her hand and she stopped, looking back at him. "Maybe it's best," Rishid said slowly, "if we leave him be for now."

Isis smiled, but gently tugged her hand from Rishid's, and continued towards Malik. Rishid sighed slightly, but followed. It was another little known fact about the Ishtar siblings – they could exhibit a bit of a stubborn streak from time to time.

Isis sat next to Malik in the grass, smoothing her dress as she did so. Malik bristled. Isis put her hand across Malik's shoulders, and he shrugged her off. She persisted, though, running her fingers through his hair. He lightly pushed her away. She reached for him again, this time placing her hand over his own.

Malik suddenly whirled to look at her. He grabbed her hand and pushed her away, more rough this time.

She didn't miss a beat. Isis reached towards him, this time with her other hand, and Malik raised his own hand, his eyes angry. "Leave me alone!!" he cried, but suddenly he froze. He turned and buried his head in his arms again, his heart pounding. He'd just...he'd just almost struck his sister.

And she still hadn't left.

But couldn't she see it? Couldn't she see how much of a worthless person he was? He was angry all the time, he couldn't make friends, and now, he was even lashing out at the only people on the face of the planet who gave a damn about him.

And then she said the three words he thought he'd never hear – "I love you."

"N...no," Malik whispered. "S....Stop it!" he burst out suddenly. "Stop acting like you understand what I feel! Stop pretending you can fix it – pretending you can fix _me_!"

"I don't understand what you feel," she said quietly, placing her hand over his, but this time he didn't push away. "But I want to. I want to know what you feel right now. I will listen...because I love you."

"I...I don't get it," Malik confessed, the words coming out in a rush. "I don't understand why they still hate me. I don't understand why it even _matters_ to me that they hate me."

Rishid sat on Malik's other side, putting his arm around his brother. The three of them sat there, and they talked, well into the evening.

"I-It's funny..." Malik said softly, as the three of them were ready to head home. "Somehow... It doesn't really hurt anymore."

And the next day, Jounouchi had approached him, apologizing for what the bully had said the day before. He felt sheepish – he had a sister himself, and could easily understand Malik's anger.

That afternoon, the gang invited Malik to Yuugi's after school.

**_End Flashbacks _**

****

'I...I'm sorry, guys...' Malik thought, watching the buildings speed by. 'I suppose if it weren't for me, we wouldn't be in this mess... Yuugi, Jounouchi, Mai, Mokuba, Anzu, and Bakura could all be enjoying a normal vacation, and Kaiba could be doing whatever work needs to be done. And Neesan and Rishid wouldn't be locked up with the Ghouls, hurt, or...or worse...

'It's my fault, all my fault. I've ruined so many lives, and now, even though Battle City has long been over, it _still_ continues, because the Ghouls want revenge...On me. For what I did...

'What if...What if we don't win this? If... If anyone were to...die...I couldn't...I wouldn't be able to ever forgive myself...

'Maybe, maybe it would've been better if _they'd_ never forgiven _me_...'

No, he wasn't going to think about all that now. He had to be strong, or else he'd never make it to Nagasaki. If he couldn't be strong, there was no way he could save his siblings and Seto.

Malik sighed tiredly, leaning against the seat. He had barely been able to sleep a wink at Hikaru's the night before... So much was on his mind last night. As a matter of fact, he hadn't been sleeping much since Isis and Rishid had been taken.

Maybe...Maybe he'd close his eyes and sleep now... No, he couldn't do that. He couldn't miss his stop.

But still, resting his eyes for a bit wouldn't hurt... He closed them. Then he heard the music. Malik opened his eyes, seeing that the man sitting in front of him had a pair of headphones on, and the volume was loud enough for Malik to hear the music.

The melody was pensive and weary...Kinda like himself... But where had he heard that song before?

Oh, wait, Anzu had that CD, didn't she? Yes...Once she'd brought it to Yuugi's house and so they'd all listened to it...

"You're gonna love number four!" she had said, switching on the track.

The band was American and the song in English, Malik remembered, so he didn't understand a lot of it. But he'd been captivated by it, and he and Anzu had borrowed Yuugi's computer, Anzu pulling up a website that had translated the lyrics into Japanese.

What was the song called again? 'Immortal Me'? No... Not it... Oh, right, 'My Immortal'.

Malik shut his eyes again, listening to the music swell. He remembered the lyrics of this particular part of the song, for some reason... 'I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone, but though you're still with me, I've been alone all along,' it was.

...What if he was too late? What if they were gone? Would he ever be able to move on?

No, no, he would _not_ think like that. Malik took a deep breath and banished those thoughts from his mind, concentrating on the music... And the swaying of the train... It was like being rocked to sleep... Had Isis rocked him to sleep, when he was tiny? Probably... Not like he could remember...

_'Neesan...Rishid...' _

**&&&& **

"Hey, who's yelling?"

"Quiet down over there!"

"Some of us are trying to sleep!"

"Hey, kid, wake up..."

"S-stop it..." Malik quivered, feeling someone shaking his shoulders. "Go away! Go! O-oniisan, help me!"

Suddenly, his eyes flew open, and he was on the floor of the train, looking up in confusion. A concerned face peered down at him, and Malik realized it was the man who'd been sitting next to him the whole ride.

Others throughout the car were turning in their seats, trying to see who'd been crying out, and Malik looked up at them. Even Headphones-Guy had turned around.

"It's alright," the man next to Malik called over his shoulder to the rest of the compartment. "It's just a kid." He turned back to Malik. "You were dreaming."

"Y-yeah, I know," Malik said quietly, as the man helped pull him up. "I just..." He wiped sweat off his face, finding tears there as well. He sighed heavily, wiping his face.

"You dropped your ticket," the man pointed out, Malik picking up the piece of paper.

"Thanks, I...Wait, what stop is next?" Malik panicked. "W-where are we?"

"Calm down, calm down," the man smiled easily. "Don't worry, we haven't passed Hakata Station yet."

"Okay," Malik breathed. "W...wait, how did you know I'm going to Hakata Station?"

"It's on your ticket," the man answered. "Malik, is it? What, if you don't mind, are you going to be doing in Fukuoka? Visiting there?"

"N-no, actually, once I get to Fukuoka I'm taking the hourly train to Nagasaki..." Malik couldn't help feeling a tad bit suspicious of this man.

"What a coincidence!" the man smiled. "I'm going to Nagasaki as well!"

"Small world..." Malik smiled weakly.

The man chuckled. "I've been there before, have you?" When Malik shook his head, the man's smile widened. "How about I give you a hand while we're there?"

"Okay," Malik said slowly. "I've got to...to meet up with some...friends...I have an address, but I don't know if I'll be able to find them... I-I'm going to stretch my legs," he stuttered. "Do you mind?"

"No, go on ahead," the man said amiably. "But mind you don't take your time, Malik, we'll be arriving in Fukuoka soon."

Malik nodded, inching past the man and walking down the car.

Malik stopped where the car led into the next and sighed, leaning against the wall of the car, trying to shut out the nagging fear in the back of his mind.

There was no reason to be suspicious of the man, right? It was just a coincidence...Just a coincidence the man was going to Nagasaki as well, and had been able to pronounce Malik's name correctly. Just a coincidence. He should really count his blessings – he was lucky to have someone who knew his way around Nagasaki.

Malik jumped when he heard the conductor's voice echo throughout the train. "We will soon be reaching Hakata Station, Fukuoka. Get ready to disembark, and have a nice day." He looked down, fingering his ticket.

That man... What if he couldn't be trusted?

'Ghoul...He's could be a Ghoul,' Malik thought desperately. 'No, no, I can't think like that... I can't be suspicious... B-but I can't think of another logical explanation... What do I do if he _is_ a Ghoul? I – I'll just go back... And be really, really careful.'

But when he returned to his seat, the man had disappeared, and the train was pulling into the station.

**&&&& **

Malik took a deep breath, on his own now, looking around the station. He just needed a sign that would direct him to the trains to Nagasaki. He looked at a nearby clock – 10:40 a.m. He had twenty minutes to find a train, because one left every hour.

Malik sighed in exasperation, wondering whom he could ask and whom he could trust. Where had the man gone... ?

He saw, through the bustling crowds, a young woman sitting on one of the plastic seats, obviously waiting for a train. There were others waiting around her, of course, but Malik began walking towards her.

She couldn't have been any older than his sister...

"Excuse me," he said quietly, and she looked up from the newspaper she'd been reading. "I... I was hoping you could direct me to the train to Nagasaki. It's really important that I get there as soon as possible."

Her eyes widened. "I... W-who are you?"

"My name's Malik...Malik Ishtar."

The woman looked at him, her eyes wide. "Ma...Malik... You can't go to Nagasaki! You'll be killed if you do!"

Malik stared at her. "H-how... Are you a Ghoul!?"

"In a way," she said, lowering her voice. Malik realized she must be like Hikaru – bound by the Ghouls' twisted blackmail.

"I'm sorry," Malik whispered, realizing this was yet another life he had inadvertently ruined.

"There's no time for that now!" the woman said, shaking her head. "T-they told me to stay here, and to tell you where the train to Nagasaki is... But you, you're not the person the Ghouls described to me. I can see the regret in your eyes... And there is kindness in your voice. I didn't expect that."

"J-just tell me how to get there," Malik said tiredly, his voice wavering.

"B-but –"

"I don't care if it's dangerous!" Malik burst out. "Haven't you ever... haven't you ever loved someone so much you'd do anything for them? Haven't you ever made a sacrifice like that?!"

Realization dawned on the woman, and she blinked away sudden tears. Malik's words had struck home. "It's that way," she whispered, pointing.

"Thank you," Malik whispered back, turning and running. 10:50. He would make it. He had to.

**&&&& **

Nearly two hours later, Malik found himself standing outside an old abandoned warehouse – and according to Hikaru – the one where his siblings were being held. He took a deep breath, walking towards it.

But then the portal appeared. Malik stepped back in surprise, as a familiar turbaned head rose from the light.

"Shadi..." he breathed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"The final test of your courage will come soon," Shadi said cryptically, drawing from the folds of his robes two objects – the Sennen Rod, and a dueling deck. He stepped forward, pressing the objects into Malik's hands. The deck was his.

"W-why...?" Malik asked slowly. His deck... He rarely dueled; duels brought back memories Malik would rather stay buried. And the Sennen Rod... He hadn't seen it since the end of Battle City, when he had turned it over to Yuugi. And that he was glad about.

"You will need them," Shadi said simply, disappearing once again into the portal.

"Wait! My siblings – are they alive!?" Malik cried, but it was too late. Shadi was gone.

He stared down at the Rod and his deck. He stuffed his deck in his pocket, but his gaze lingered on the Rod, looking at it with a mix of loathing and reverence. He stuck it in his belt, taking a deep breath, refusing to let his thoughts remain on those whose blood had once stained the dagger concealed inside the Item.

Malik took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to the warehouse, not knowing that Yuugi and the others had just arrived in Nagasaki.

**&&&& **

Malik looked around the largest room in the warehouse, hesitant. It was dark in there... Very dark.

"Welcome, _Malik-sama_," sneered a male voice from the darkness.

Malik knew that voice from somewhere...

Suddenly, the lights flipped on and Malik shielded his eyes, experiencing a very strong sense of déjà vu. He'd done this to Yuugi, long ago, hadn't he?

A lone figure sat in a chair in the middle of the room.

"You," Malik gasped. "You lied..."

It was the man from the train.

"So, what are you doing here?" the Ghoul drawled. "Come to collect the bodies?"

Malik eyed him warily, fear rising in his chest. "What do you mean?"

A smirk crossed the Ghoul's face. "I mean you're too late."

"Don't lie," Malik said, his voice getting low. "Neesan, Rishid, and Kaiba are alive."

The Ghoul smiled gleefully. "Yes, Kaiba is alive... We're not done with him yet. But your siblings, well... What do you think went through their heads before they died? They realized, _Malik-sama_, that you didn't care anything about them. You would've come if you did. And they didn't love you either."

Malik squeezed his eyes shut. Lies... All the lies...

There was a rustling sound as the Ghoul got up, walking up to Malik. He felt a prick on his neck and he jumped, his eyes springing open.

The tip of a dagger precariously tickled the tan flesh on his neck. "This, my friend, is the blade that killed your siblings."

"You're lying," Malik said quietly, his voice shaking. He would've screamed it if not for the fear of being stabbed. "If... if they didn't love me, then I wouldn't have had the dream..." He closed his eyes, tears threatening to fall.

The Ghoul began to chuckle, but Malik was not hearing the Ghoul's voice – it had morphed into the psychotic, low laugh of his dark side.

"Why are you so upset?" the Ghoul asked, pinching Malik's cheek. "You're going to see them soon."

There was the clink of metal-on-metal, as Malik used the Sennen Rod to push the dagger away from his skin.

Malik jumped back, holding up the Sennen Rod. He aimed it at the Ghoul and blasted him backwards, the dagger flying out of his hand and skidding across the room. Malik's eyes were different now. Since Battle City, they'd been growing warmer, and now... now they were cold again.

"You will die," he said venomously, the words coming from his mouth almost unconsciously.

**&&&& **

"You think this is the place?" Jounouchi whispered, as the group approached the old abandoned warehouse Hikaru had told them to go to. They all crouched behind a few crates, stumbling over a few rocks. What they didn't realize was that Malik had entered the warehouse only moments ago.

"According to Hikaru-san, this is it," Yuugi whispered back.

Mokuba looked rather nervously at the warehouse. "So you mean...Niisama, Malik, Isis, and Rishid are all in _there_?"

"Don't be afraid, Mokuba-kun," Anzu soothed quietly.

"I'm not afraid!" Mokuba replied indignantly.

Mai shushed them all. Two Ghouls had just emerged from the warehouse, leaning against the wall, looking irritated with their post.

"Whyda we need ta guard the door, anyway?" one of them drawled. "'Snot like anyone's gonna be coming out or in anytime soon..."

"Yeah," the other said, a smirk growing on his face. "They'll finish off the Ishtars any time now!"

Jounouchi growled and rolled up his sleeves, balling his hands into fists. "Lemme at 'em."

"No, Jounouchi-kun, we can't just go charging in there!" Ryou protested. Jounouchi sighed.

"Well, what do we do, then?" he snapped, not angry with Ryou, but rather, frustrated with the situation.

"M-Mai!" Honda exclaimed as quietly as he could. "You can't be putting on makeup at a time like this!"

Mai finished applying another coat of lipstick and stuffed the tube back into her purse. "I have a plan," she said simply, getting up and sauntering towards the warehouse.

"Has she gone nuts!?" Anzu demanded in a frantic whisper. The others stared in surprise and confusion.

The Ghouls noticed her immediately. Rather, they noticed her _chest_ immediately. The one Ghoul looked curious. "Lookee what we got here, Kano..."

Kano grinned. "Hey, baby... Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?"

The other Ghoul rolled his eyes. Mai mentally slapped Kano... repeatedly... He was disgusting, but this was for the Ishtars. She batted her eyelashes, trying to look bashful.

"Sooo, what's a pretty little thing like you doin' around here, Missy?" Kano asked.

Mai looked flustered. "I – I just don't get it..." She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "I was sure my aunt said her place was around here... Oh, I can't believe it!" she wailed, burying her head in her hands. "I'm so lost! I just can't do _anything_ for myself!" Her shoulder shook with fake sobs.

Kano practically melted, and even the other Ghoul looked sympathetic.

Mai suddenly stopped sobbing and peeked through slightly open fingers at her. The Ghouls looked oddly at her. Without warning, Mai swung her purse directly at Kano's head. It connected solidly, and he crumpled to the ground, out cold.

Mai looked solemn. "That was for Isis and Rishid." The other Ghoul looked at her in shock and indignation.

"Y-you little-!"

She swung her purse at him as well, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted it, Mai's rock-laden purse hitting the dust. She gasped in pain. Mai kicked out, her foot connecting solidly with the Ghoul's shin.

Jounouchi appeared from nowhere, swinging his fist into the Ghoul's stomach, then into his jaw. He collapsed, unconscious as well. "And that one was for Malik," Jounouchi proclaimed.

The others ran up as well, Jounouchi and Mai looking at each other.

"You okay?" Jounouchi asked, noticing the way Mai rubbed her wrist.

"Fine," she said shortly. "....Thanks for helping me." Another long pause.

"But I could've taken care of it myself."

"Guys, come on!" Yuugi exclaimed, as the rest cautiously went to open the large door to the warehouse.

They would never forget the sight that lay before their eyes.

"M...Malik," Anzu breathed. The others just looked on in shock.

Malik stood over the Ghoul, blinded by anger and pain. He realized it, now – all along, ever since he'd had the dream, he'd felt his siblings, as if they were there with him in spirit.

But now... nothing. They... Were they gone?

Malik looked down at the man at his feet, who was beginning to shake, pleading with Malik, telling him to stop and think about what he was doing.

Malik was disgusted. This was the man who had done it. This was the man who had murdered his siblings – his whole life.

He looked at the Rod. Shadi had said his test of courage would come soon – this must be it. The test was whether or not Malik had the courage to kill, to get the revenge that was rightfully his. "I have a few options," he said, his voice an icy venom. "I could drive you out of your mind – put things in your head that aren't even real. My next option is to send you to the Shadow Realm. A worm like you deserves it there," he hissed. Then he reached for the Rod and unsheathed the hidden dagger. Everyone gasped in shock. The man whimpered in fear.

"Malik, wait!" Mokuba cried, trying to run to his friend, but someone grabbed his shoulder and gently pulled him back.

"I could slit your throat," Malik continued. "That's another option. There's stabbing, that's an option......And I could cut you open and watch the life drain out of you. Which one did you do to Neesan and Rishid?"

Suddenly, he stopped, and the fire in his eyes was replaced with a weary, haunted expression.

"And here's my last option," he said quietly. "I could imagine what Neesan and Rishid would do if they had to make this decision. I could imagine how heartsick and disappointed they would be if they saw me like this. And I could let you live. Because killing you won't bring them back. And it won't stop this hatred."

Silence. Then, the clang of medal as Malik sheathed the dagger and put the Rod in his belt, turning away.

The Ghoul slowly got to his feet, hesitantly walking to the door. Finding no one come after him, a shaky, malicious grin spread across his face.

"Y-you'll regret not killing me," he said. He laughed nervously. "You're a coward, you know that? A coward!" He turned and darted out of the room and down the hall.

Jounouchi suddenly plowed through Honda and Yuugi and came to the hallway.

"JUST KEEP RUNNING, THAT'S RIGHT!" he screamed, tears welling up in his eyes. "GO TELL EVERYONE WE'RE HERE! BUT WE ALL KNOW WHO THE REAL COWARD WAS HERE!"

Malik collapsed onto his knees, one hand covering his face. Mokuba ran to his side, wrapping his arms around his friend's shoulders.

"H-he was the one," Malik whispered. "He was the one who killed my sister and my brother. He....he told me about it. He said he took out a knife....he said that they gave up on me, they didn't love me anymore when I didn't come in time...

"But that's a LIE!!" he screamed suddenly, striking the ground with his fist.

The room was silent, save for Malik's quiet sobs. "It's....it's a lie, b-because....because they'd never forsake me like that, no matter what I did."

"What you did was more than any of us could ever do," Yuugi said softly, coming over and placing his hands on Malik's shoulders. "I'm sure that Isis and Rishid are very proud of you."

"I-it doesn't matter," Malik was sobbing. "Nothing's ever going to bring them back...."

Yuugi said something else, but Malik was suddenly unaware of what was going on around him. It was as though someone had turned down the volume.

_"Malik....Malik....." _

His head shot up. He slowly got to his feet, almost in a trance, and walked to the same hallway the Ghoul had darted down.

The others blinked at him.

"D....did you hear that?" Malik whispered. "Someone said my name....."

_"Malik, this way." _

Malik walked down the hall of the warehouse. The voice was getting louder...It definitely belonged to a female....now he could hear footsteps in front of him.

_"Keep coming.....a little further...." _

The voice led him down a staircase and down hallways. The others were following, telling him to wait up. But he couldn't hear them.

_"This way, my darling...."_

"W....where are you taking me?" Malik whispered.

_"To them, of course."_

"So....they're still alive....?"

There was a door in front of him. He froze, reaching hesitantly for the doorknob.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

_"Go on."_

He took a deep breath, placed his hand on the knob, and began to turn.

_"I love you, my son."_

Then the voice was gone. Malik paused for a second, smiling slightly, and then he shoved the door open.

The room was dimly lit and empty, except for two lone figures in the back.

Malik was swallowing back tears. "Are y-you..." Suddenly, he ran at them.

They were alive. Rishid and Isis were alive.

But before he could reach them, the lights went out, and Malik smelled something heavy and bitter directly in front of his nose. His head swam, everything went black, and he knew no more.

**&&&& **

"W....where...." Malik slowly opened his eyes, finding himself lying on a metal platform. He gradually got to his feet, looking around and finding his siblings coming too as well, lying on the floor beneath the platform.

"Ri-rishid! Neesan!" Malik yelled, running to the edge of the platform.

"NOT SO FAST, ISHTAR!" a voice screamed. Malik jumped a mile, and saw a Ghoul coming across the platform to him. But it wasn't just _a_ Ghoul. It was _the _Ghoul.

"You," Malik spat, his eyes wide. "You said you killed them. And the police....the police told me my brother and sister were dead."

"Well, perhaps the police were not looking hard enough," the Ghoul said nonchalantly.

"Y...you," Malik growled, "you control the police here as well?"

The Ghoul grinned and shrugged off the question. "Would you like to go free? Because we're going to make you a deal, Ishtar."

"What's the deal?" Malik asked suspiciously, keeping his guard up.

"A duel," the Ghoul said, flashing a grin and thrusting a Duel Disk at Malik. "I assume you have your deck?"

Malik checked his pocket and sure enough, his deck remained.

"Now, here's the rest of the deal," the Ghoul continued. "We're going to duel with the safety settings at zero. And if I win – you and your siblings will not escape this place alive."

"And if I win?" Malik demanded.

"We will do anything you ask," the Ghoul said, smugly.

Malik chewed his lip, and slowly, almost as though he didn't want to, turned around to face his siblings. Isis and Rishid were truly alive....He sighed deeply, relieved at that. They were watching him, looking relieved as well, smiling slightly, and Malik knew they would support him no matter what.

"Well?"

Malik took a deep breath. "I accept your challenge."

As the two strapped on their duel disks and shuffled their decks, Isis and Rishid turned over the outcomes in their minds. "He obviously thinks Malik will not win," Isis said quietly, a touch of indignation in her voice. "Why else would he offer to give Malik anything he asks as reward?"

"They don't know our brother, then," Rishid said. "Not at all."

"Duel!" the two competitors said in unison, drawing their hands, as the life point counters raised to 8000.

"I'll make the first move," the Ghoul said, drawing a card. "And, I'll set this card face down, set a monster card face down, and end my turn."

Malik drew again and looked over his hand – he'd been rather lucky this draw. Although he had no monsters under level 5, he had just drawn Waboku, and Snatch Steal would be a very convenient way for him to defend his life points.

"I set this magic card face down," he said, placing Waboku on the duel disk, "and play Snatch Steal. The monster I'm going to take control of is your face down monster."

"Nice try, Ishtar, but you forgot about my face-down card," the Ghoul grinned, revealing his face-down card as Magic Jammer. "I send this card to the Graveyard in order to counter the effect of your Snatch Steal."

Malik's Snatch Steal was destroyed. He frowned. "I end my turn."

"My turn." The Ghoul drew another card. "I'm going to flip my face down card to reveal Hayabusa Knight, and with it I'll attack your life points directly."

Malik countered with Waboku, and his life points remained untouched.

"Oh, but look at the fine print on my Hayabusa Knight," the Ghoul smirked. "It can attack twice in the same Battle Phase, and seeing as your Waboku didn't end my Battle Phase, I can attack again."

Malik's eyes widened as the knight charged straight at him, thrusting its holographic sword through his chest. But with the safety settings at zero, the pain was real. Malik screamed and fell to his knees, his life points dropping to 7000.

"_MALIK!_"

"_MALIK-SAMA!_"

"I-I'm alright," Malik said weakly, getting slowly to his feet. He just wasn't expecting it; that was all...

"Pff, that was pathetic," the Ghoul mocked. "You could barely even take 1000 life points. What are you going to do when the numbers get higher, Ishtar? It's hopeless, you know – you can't win!"

Malik swallowed back the rest of the pain. His voice lowered. "Here's something you obviously don't know about me – when someone tells me I can't do something, I set out to prove them wrong."

"Ohh, is that so?" the Ghoul leered.

"S-shut up and duel," Malik choked.

**&&&& **

"He went this way!" Anzu said, the gang still looking for Malik after the Egyptian had taken off.

"I think he went in here!" Mokuba said, pointing at a nearby door.

"I guess it's worth a shot," Mai shrugged, and Jounouchi and Honda slammed into the door. To their surprise, it opened easily, and Jounouchi and Honda flew into the room.

"You okay?" Yuugi asked concernedly, as they all walked cautiously inside.

"It smells in here," Ryou commented, lifting his sleeve to his nose.

"Smells like...cleaning supplies. Ammonia, maybe?" Anzu said.

"They must've drugged Malik!" Jounouchi exclaimed.

"M-maybe Rishid and Isis were in here as well," Yuugi said slowly.

From the corner of the large, dimly lit room, they heard a cough. Mokuba's eyes widened, and he ran to the source.

"NIISAMA!" they heard him cry.

The group stared at each other in surprise for a moment, before dashing after Mokuba, founding the raven-haired boy crouched in front of a very dazed Seto Kaiba.

"Niisama!" Mokuba sobbed. "C-can you hear me!?"

"H...hey, kid," Seto choked out. "Ya found me." He reached up and wiped the tears off of Mokuba's cheeks. He wrapped his arms around his brother, burying his head in his chest.

Seto hugged him back.

"I was worried about you, Niisama," Mokuba mumbled into Seto's shirt. Seto rested a hand on Mokuba's head, looking up at the others.

"Thanks," he said roughly. "You know...for watching him."

"Can you stand?" Jounouchi asked, realizing, with some reluctance, that he'd most end up acting as the other boy's crutch.

"I'm fine," Seto said, slowly getting to his feet. He stumbled forward, Mokuba grabbing him before he fell.

"Yeah, sure you are," Jounouchi sighed, not feeling quite as rueful as he was acting. He slung Seto's arm around his shoulders, almost as if they were participating in some strange three-legged race.

But then, who knew? Maybe it was a race – a race for Malik's life.

**&&&& **

While the gang had been searching for Malik and finding Seto, the duel between Malik and the Ghoul continued. Neither really had an advantage, with Malik at 5200 life points, and the Ghoul at 5400. Malik had just thrown a monster in defense mode, and the Ghoul also had the monster Harpie's Brother, with an attack of 1800.

But then it came to the Ghoul's turn. He drew, and his eyes widened. His lips curled into a smirk, and he began to laugh. "I just drew the card that will bring about your destruction, Ishtar," he laughed, revealing the card he'd just drawn to be Raise Dead. "Remember the card I discarded to play my Magic Jammer?

"The monster I'm bringing back from the grave – is that one," he said dramatically, holding up one of the most powerful monsters in all of Duel Monsters - _the Five God Dragon_. He played the monster in attack mode, and it appeared, a massive dragon with five heads, each head representing Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, or Dark. "5000 attack and defense points," the Ghoul said with glee. "And it can only be attacked by a monster with the attribute of Light. First I'll attack your face-down monster with Harpie's Brother, wiping out your defense."

Malik's eyes widened. He was wide open for a direct attack-!

"And now...ATTACK, MY DRAGONS!"

Five heads reared back at once.

**&&&& **

"I think I hear voices!" Anzu cried, as the rest of the group, Seto now in tow, darted down the hallway.

They reached the door leading into the room where the Ghoul and Malik were dueling. "That sounds like a duel!" Jounouchi exclaimed, hearing the roar of the Five God Dragon on the other side. Then they heard the screaming.

"MALIK!" they all cried at once, crashing through the door.

**&&&& **

It was like being hit with five attacks at once.

Malik threw his hands up over his face and screamed, vaguely hearing Rishid and Isis calling his name from the side.

Finally, the attack stopped, but the pain was still there, pain that engulfed him, pain that brought him back to that fateful night, six years ago.....

Gasping for breath, he collapsed, his body connecting with the solid metal floor below.

He laid there, darkness surrounding him, consuming him. Was he dying?

Rishid, meanwhile, stared up at Malik's still form in horror, beginning to dart forward, stopped only by the sharp protest of the Ghoul.

"Touch him and he loses automatically," the Ghoul grinned maliciously. Rishid glared fiercely at the man, clenching his hands in his fists. Isis was angry as well.

Malik could barely make out the voices around him. How many life points did he have left? 200? Something like that. The pain had dulled rapidly. Was he dying?

Even if he wasn't, he couldn't do it. He couldn't get up. He couldn't win.

"MALIK!" It was the gang. They were all calling to him, telling him to get up....

What would happen to them if Malik were to forfeit? What about if he were to die? And what about Hikaru, and all the others in the Ghouls' iron grip?

He could indistinctly hear the Ghoul's catcalls of 'It's your turn, Ishtar! Aren't you getting up?'

'No,' he thought desperately. 'No, I'm not.....'

But then he heard Rishid's strong protests – "Please, get up! You can do this!"

**_Flashbac k_**

Rishid opened the trap door, and the three of them stared hesitantly into the blackness, and it was then that Malik realized that his siblings dreaded going back down there as much as he did.

Malik took a deep breath, and resolutely trekked down the stairs.

Suddenly, he forgot he was with his siblings, as the darkness surrounded him once again. His eyes had yet to adjust to the dark, but it didn't matter – he'd walked these hallways so many times before.

As he walked through the hallways, the sound of his footsteps echoing around him, memories he didn't even know he had came back to him.

And then he came to the room. He couldn't see it, but he knew what it was. He knew as though he'd been there yesterday.

To one side was the sort-of altar where the Rod and the Tauk had once lain. On the other was a sort-of stone tablet. He remembered the feel of that cold stone against his body too well. He remembered the gag being roughly shoved in his mouth, as he screamed in protest the whole time. And on one wall, the bloodstains would be. An inexplicable fear came over him, a fear that his father was right behind him, breathing down his neck, as though he'd never left the room he'd died in.

Malik stared at the floor, bangs falling in his eyes and hiding the intense pain in them, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Suddenly, a small light poured over the threshold.

"Malik?" Isis was standing in the doorway, Rishid behind her holding a torch, both of them looking concerned.

He fell on his knees, biting his lip and clenching his hands into fists.

"I...I c-can't do it...."

They were by his side in an instant.

"Yes, you can," Isis said softly, drawing him into her arms. "We have faith in you, Malik."

Rishid laid his hand on Malik's shoulder and Malik turned to him, the kindness in his golden eyes attesting to Isis' words.

And in the arms of his siblings, Malik found a peace that had evaded him for years.

_**End flashback**_

"Malik, get up! Please, get up!" Rishid cried in desperation, and Malik froze.

'Malik....he didn't call me.....he didn't call me 'Malik-sama'....'

"That's right," Malik murmured out loud, feeling sudden tears come to his eyes. "Because.....because he's my brother.....he's always been my brother.....And I'm fighting for him, for him and my sister, and my friends...Because they have faith in me...If they didn't have faith in me...they wouldn't be here."

He remembered a dark, cold night, months ago, when he had been accosted by a group of shady characters, threatening him with a knife. Malik had tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them, and he was beaten down. It had looked hopeless, but suddenly Rishid entered the scene, fighting the thugs as best he could. They were too much for Rishid as well, but when they held their knife at his throat Malik snapped and leaped to his feet, despite the pain. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" he had screamed. Frightened by the sudden change in personality of their intended victim and by the distant sound of police sirens, the muggers fled.

Rishid collapsed, then, and Malik had darted to his side. "I...I'm sorry, Malik-sama," Rishid had said softly.

"No," Malik then whispered. "Oniisan...S...stop...stop calling me that! You're my.....you're my brother...."

Back in the present, he gradually got to his feet, ignoring the astonished gasps of the others in the room.

"It's my move," Malik said softly.

Taking a deep breath he looked over at Rishid and Isis, and their eyes met, and they understood.

Malik slowly reached for his deck. This draw...this draw would determine whether they would go free, or be killed. This next draw meant everything. His breathing grew shallow, and he hesitated, his hand hovering over the deck.

But he felt gentle hands placed over his own, and suddenly he knew.

Never had he once been alone. Never had been suffering alone in the dark. Because they'd always been with him, Isis and Rishid. They would never leave him. Nothing could ever shatter the bond they shared. Nothing.

And so he took a deep breath, and pulled off the top card. He stared at it, and his eyes widened.

"Yuugi, isn't that-?" Honda began, taking in the magnitude of the monster Malik was facing.

"Yeah," Yuugi said nervously. "It's that dragon the Big 5 had."

"Is there any chance of him beating it?" Isis asked, coming over to them, Rishid close by.

The others stared at them for a moment.

"Rishid, your arm -" Anzu pointed at the bloody bandage in horror.

"It's alright," Rishid said urgently. "What about the duel?"

"There are...a few ways to beat a monster like that," Yuugi said softly. "But whether or not Malik has the cards to do it...."

Meanwhile, back in the 'arena', Malik stared at the card he'd just drawn. He'd won, but only – only if the Ghoul attacked. He'd have to lure him into an attack, make him think he'd won.

"I-I play this card face down," Malik said, playing the card he'd just drawn. "I play Just Desserts, and because you have two monsters, your life points drop to 4400."

The Ghoul winced as his life points dwindled, but didn't lose his composure.

"And I throw Darkfire Soldier in defense mode," Malik said. "And end my turn."

The Ghoul's lip curled. "You're desperate, Ishtar; I can see it in your eyes."

Malik had been hoping he looked afraid.

"I attack your Darkfire Soldier with my Harpie's Brother, and now....you know what this means – ATTACK, MY DRAGONS!"

"I was hoping you'd attack!" Malik sighed in relief, flipping over the card he'd just drawn. "I play Devil's Sanctuary!"

Everyone in the room gasped – the Ghoul, who hadn't seen it coming, and everyone else, who'd seen it played before, against Malik's darker half.

'Remember this card, guys?' Malik asked himself, smiling. "Devil's Sanctuary brings forth a Metal Devil token," Malik explained out loud, as a shiny metal monster emerged from the ground. "It becomes like a clone of you, with its attack points equal to your life points. You know what this means? It means you will be destroyed by your own monster."

It was too late for the Ghoul – he'd already called his attack.

He too threw up his hands and screamed, falling backwards with the force of the attack. His life points plummeted from 4400 to 0.

Malik had done it. He'd won.

But before anyone could say anything, the door burst open and about ten police officers ran in.

"W-WHAT!?" the Ghoul screamed, recovering from the attack of his own Five God Dragon.

The others smirked. "We took the liberty of calling the police on you all. Figured you'd be too busy dealing with Ishtar to notice, and apparently that was right," Seto leered.

One of the officers leapt up onto the platform, grabbing the Ghoul and handcuffing him. The officer led the Ghoul out, saying, "We've already got the rest of your friends," and citing the Ghouls' long list of crimes.

"What about Hikaru Higurashi?" Yuugi asked a nearby officer. "And the others the Ghouls are blackmailing?"

"We found their 'contracts'," the officer answered, holding up a stack of 10 or so sheets of paper. "But as of now, these contracts are nothing but worthless scraps of paper."

"Well, then, uh, can we have 'em?" Jounouchi asked abruptly. The officer looked oddly at him, but complied and handed over the papers. The others gave Jounouchi equally puzzled looks, as he placed the papers inside his coat. "I've got an idea," Jounouchi mumbled to them, his tone suggesting he would explain later.

"Guys...look," Ryou said suddenly, watching the platform.

Malik, exhausted from the duel, was sitting on his knees. Isis and Rishid had climbed up on the platform as well, hesitantly, as though worried that their reunion would be interrupted again.

"Hi," Malik said softly, a tired grin spreading across his face, as his sister crouched in front of him, taking his hand in hers.

"Hello," she smiled back.

"I thought I wasn't going to see you again," Malik said, feeling tears coming to his eyes.

"I know. Rishid and I...we were also told that you..."

And then suddenly they threw their arms around each other, Malik burying his head in her shoulder and remembering days gone by when he was just a child, waking from a nightmare and being invited to crawl under the covers with his sister.

Rishid wrapped his arms around them both, and Malik remembered lonely nights back during Battle City, when he was questioning everything around him and Rishid had done his best to answer his brother. Malik suddenly recalled how, only moments before, he had noticed his adoptive brother no longer referred to him as 'master'. He looked up at Rishid, adoration clear in his eyes, and they didn't need words.

The gang watched from the sidelines, beaming. Honda had his arm slung around Ryou's shoulders. Anzu bounced on the balls of her feet, grinning and wiping tears from her eyes. Yuugi was practically glowing; Yami stood next to Yuugi in his transparent form, his hands on Yuugi's shoulders. Kaiba had his brother close to him. Mai grinned lopsidedly, for once not worrying about how she looked.

And Jounouchi was sobbing into his sleeve. "D-dammit! I promised myself I wasn't gonna cry!"

The Ishtars broke away, stepping off the platform and stopping in front of the others.

"You did it, Malik!" Mokuba exclaimed, running over to his friend. Malik grinned and ruffled Mokuba's hair.

"No," he said, looking around at his friends. "_We_ did it." Suddenly, he felt dizzy, and his knees shook.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Without warning, the strain of the duel still taking its toll, Malik fell forward, but pairs of hands reached out and caught him.

"It's okay, man," Malik heard Jounouchi say. "We gotcha."

Malik smiled, even though he was slipping out of consciousness. "I-I know."

He felt strong arms lift him up and hold him close, and he knew it was Rishid. And he knew they were going home. All of them.

**&&&& **

A few weeks later, and the woman Malik had spoken to in the train station stepped outside of her tiny apartment to get the mail.

Thing used to be so easy for her – she had a well-paying job that she honestly didn't mind, a decent apartment, and she had _him_. His name was Sasame, and he was everything to her.

But then came the day that stumbled upon _their_ hideout. She ended up hearing too much, so to silence her, they put her under a 'contract'.

They were dangerous. Once, she tried to call the police, and ended up with nothing to show for it but a gash from a knife on her arm. And because she loved Sasame, she had to let him go.

She looked through the mail, finding, in the middle of the pile, a small envelope addressed to her. She looked at the return address. Some place in Tokyo called Domino. She didn't know anyone in Domino, did she?

In the envelope, there was no letter, but she did pull out a newspaper clipping – 'KIDS BUST GANG' it screamed.

She skimmed the clipping, and her eyes widened. The Ghouls...had been...disbanded?

She dropped the envelope in shock, and out fluttered a few scraps of paper. Intrigued, she crouched down and dumped out the rest of the scraps. She squinted at one, and then another, and tears came to her eyes, tumbling down her cheeks.

They were the fragments of her 'contract'.

She leapt to her feet, laughing, and ran back inside.

Where was Sasame's phone number?

**&&&& **

That same day, Hikaru Higurashi stepped outside as well to get the mail.

He found a similar letter. Domino? Wasn't that where Malik and the others lived? He too gaped at the article. And then he found the shreds of the contract. His eyes widened.

"MIYUKI!!" he screamed, laughing, turning and bounding into the house.

"THEY DID IT!"

_E nd_

Mojobubbles: And now for some shameless self-advertisement.

Everyone, go to (http:) kyodai-no-kokoro (dot) co (dot) nr. The one who did most of the work was LuckLadybug66, while every single image you see on that site, edited or otherwise (except, of course, for LuckyLadybug66's wallpapers and banners), came from yours truly. n.n It's just our humble little expression of love for the Ishtars. (blink)

I'd like to apologize for the delay in getting this chapter up. I was stressed, then busy, then not stressed, and now I'm stressed again. XD When the epilogue will be up, I don't know. Hopefully it won't be TOO long of a wait. And speaking of the epilogue – Anzu?

Anzu: Yes! We did it! The morning after the rescue, the Ishtars do some thinking about the past, and how things will be from now on, plus a few questions will be answered. Next time on My Immortal! Duel Standby!


	4. Epilogue O' Fluff

**Epilogue O' Fluff**

Welcome to the Epilogue O' Fluff! F.Y.I. – twas first drafted on the Erie Canal. (grin)

Enjoy the fluffy epilogue! Guaranteed to make you all warm and fuzzy inside! Well, actually, no, I can't _guarantee_ that... (blink) ('Specially 'cause it's not as fluffy as I wanted it to be...vv)

Oh, and I had to take review responses out because apparently FanFiction counts that as 'interaction' and grounds for removal...

**&&&& **

9 a.m. the morning after the rescue found Isis sitting on the porch looking around the backyard, her chin resting in her hand, wrapped in a blanket, safe from the November chill. She was thinking. On the train back to Domino, she'd asked where the Sennen Rod had come from and, seeing as Malik was still asleep, Yuugi spoke up. He told Isis that he wasn't sure, but he could've sworn he'd glimpsed Shadi at the warehouse...

Shadi. Had Shadi been there? He didn't make quite as many 'appearances' as he used to. Every time he'd been seen, it had been because something to do with the pharaoh's revival or the Sennen Items was out of whack, and Shadi had to correct it.

Had Shadi really appeared to Malik for no apparent reason other than trying to help reunite the three Ishtars?

Of course, Isis decided, it was much more likely that had the Ghouls succeeded in their plan to terminate the Ishtars, it would've spelled trouble. Big trouble.

But still. She liked to think of Shadi as a friend, even if he didn't feel the same way.

During the five years between their father's death and Battle City, Shadi's sporadic visits helped ease the guilt and the loneliness, whether he realized it or not.

Isis often found herself wondering what kind of feelings the enigma kept locked inside. Her whole life she'd been good at reading people's personalities and feelings, except when they apparently didn't have any feelings to read. Which is why she'd been rather captivated by Seto Kaiba when they first met. He just didn't show any feelings, other than his special brand of irritated aloofness.

But she couldn't forget the second time that Shadi had ever appeared to her. It was very shortly after their father had been killed... Malik had collapsed, exhausted, after Shadi appeared to him and only him, his elder siblings having not seen the Egyptian rising from their father's body.

**_Flashback_**

****

Rishid lay on Malik's bed, cheek pressed against the pillows, his back bandaged, dozing.

Isis, having just finished her task of bandaging her older brother, scooped up her younger brother who was lying in a chair, slumping down in the chair herself, holding Malik in her lap. She realized she was shaking. Her ears were ringing with shrieks – Rishid's cries of pain, Malik's panic at the sight of their father's dead body, and her father's dying screams. And above it all, the psychotic laughter... She looked down at her little brother, sleeping rather fitfully. She stroked his hair, and at her touch he relaxed. Now he looked peaceful... How...How could that have been him back there, holding the dagger over his brother and father?

She just...didn't get it.

Her eyes had nearly closed, when she heard the footsteps. Her eyes flew open, and she held Malik protectively.

"Don't be afraid."

"Y-you!" she gasped.

It was the man from the marketplace.

His expression didn't change.

"Isis-sama, w-what is it?" Rishid asked, propping himself up, grunting in pain. He noticed Shadi, and his eyes widened. "What do you want?" he growled, not exactly posing as much of a threat in his current state.

Shadi looked him over. "Lie still," he said, his voice monotone, but softening ever so slightly. He turned back to Isis. "He must leave." He nodded toward the child in her arms.

"W-what do you want with Malik?" she demanded.

"Rishid shall leave as well."

"I...I will not leave Isis-sama," Rishid said stubbornly, succeeding in getting to his feet, leaning on the bed for support.

"But you will not leave Malik, either," Shadi said, a statement rather than question. Rishid was silent.

"I don't understand," Isis said, trying to maintain her cool façade. "Who are you? Why must they leave?"

"I am, as I said before, a tomb keeper as well. I am the guardian of the Sennen Items, and I am known as Shadi," Shadi explained. "They must leave because the pharaoh is reviving."

Isis closed her eyes. "Haven't we done enough for the pharaoh?" she whispered.

Shadi studied her. "The darkness inside your brother's heart will continue to grow," he said gravely. "If Malik can complete his role as an Ishtar, possibly this darkness will cease to exist. But to complete the role -"

"He must find the pharaoh," Isis interrupted. "So...You mean, that the being that killed our father... Was the darkness inside my brother?"

A nod. "Rishid and Malik must leave immediately."

"Rishid is in no condition to travel!" Isis cried in protest.

"They will not travel far today. I will be watching over them."

Rishid sighed. "I suppose we have no choice," he said wearily.

"Shadi..." Isis stared down at her little brother. "What if... What if the darkness in his heart grows unchecked? What will happen?"

"It will be tragedy for the entire world," Shadi said gravely. "And the Malik you know will cease to exist forever."

Isis silently laid Malik in the chair and crossed the room to Rishid, throwing her arms around him, careful not to touch the wounds on his back. She clung to him like a frightened child. "I don't want to lose Malik," she said softly.

"It won't come to that," Rishid assured, returning the embrace.

A while later, the four of them stood at the stairs leading up to the outside world. Or rather – three of them stood; Malik was asleep in Rishid's arms. Isis stroked his hair, and the sleeping child stirred, opening his eyes slightly and looking around blearily. "Nee...san...?"

Isis smiled at him. "You and Rishid are going to go on a little trip," she said, trying to keep her voice as bright as possible.

"Won't Father be mad?"

"No, Malik, it's alright."

He looked up at her pleadingly. "Neesan... Aren't you coming?"

"No," Isis said softly, shaking her head and blinking back tears. "B-but we will not be apart for long."

"Oh." Satisfied, Malik snuggled close to Rishid, his eyes closing. "See you, Neesan."

With that, the two brothers ascended the stairs, and were gone. Isis stared after them, holding back tears. "How long will it be until I see them again-?" she asked quietly, turning to Shadi, standing behind her.

But Shadi was gone.

**_End Flashback_**

****

The next day she had seen the events to come in Battle City through the Sennen Tauk. Fear gripped her heart then, because she didn't know if she would ever see her brothers again. She'd seen the way Rishid had fallen; she had seen Malik lose control to the darkness.

But they had all survived it. And they had survived this recent ordeal as well, because as long as they had each other, they could overcome anything.

**&&&& **

Upstairs, Malik still lay in his bed, sleeping the morning away. He felt a hand on his cheek. He stirred slightly. "Nee...san?" he mumbled.

"Hello, Malik."

Malik had hard that voice yesterday. His eyes snapped open.

The woman standing over him smiled. He smiled back.

"Hello, Mother."

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Malik looked around his room, the events of the previous few days coming back to him. He looked over at the digital clock by his bed – a quarter past nine. He got out bed, finding he was still dressed – Rishid must've put him in his bed last night. Malik shuffled down the hall, finding Rishid still asleep. He tiptoed down the stairs and out the back door, where he found Isis sitting on the porch.

"You haven't been up for long either, Neesan?" Malik guessed, noting his sister's rather tousled hair.

She smiled. "You could use a comb yourself," she teased lightly, fluffing his hair with her fingers.

For a while, they said nothing, simply enjoying each other's company.

"I'm hungry," Malik said, out-of-the-blue.

"I bet you are," Isis said, smiling. "Were you eating while we were gone?" she asked rather sternly, as though she and Rishid had merely been away on a trip. Malik nodded.

"B-but when did _you_ last eat?" he asked suddenly.

"Last night, after we arrived at home."

"Oh, I see."

"Does koshari sound good?" Isis wanted to know, smiling.

Malik smiled back. "Of course it does." She began to get up, but Malik grabbed her hand. "Don't trouble yourself," he insisted, and she sat back down.

"Was I really asleep since the duel ended?" Malik wondered aloud.

"For the most part, yes."

Malik looked a tad embarrassed. "So, what all did I miss?"

"Not much, really... Mokuba persuaded Seto to get a Kaiba Corp. doctor to look over us all. He stitched up Rishid's arm, and he told us that it was already healing nicely. You were severely exhausted, he said, both physically and mentally, and needed your sleep."

Malik nodded slowly. "And... I needed you and Rishid." His hand slowly found its way to Isis', and he squeezed it.

"We all must've been quite a sight on the train," Malik grinned dryly after a moment.

Isis smiled amusedly. "Actually... About as soon as we set foot on the train, Seto stalked to the front and reserved us our own compartment."

Malik chuckled out loud. "That's Kaiba, alright."

He paused. "Neesan... I had this dream," he said, the words coming out in a rush. "I don't know... Maybe it was more like a vision. ... Mother was in it."

Isis sucked in her breath.

"I... I never knew that you look so much like her," Malik continued slowly. "It's your eyes that are most alike – different colors, I know, but when she looked at me... I saw the same warmth that lights up your eyes when you look at me. Her smile is just like yours... I love it when you smile, Neesan. When you smile...I know you've forgiven me, and I can come closer to forgiving myself."

Smiling and blinking back sudden tears, she leaned forward and embraced him, Malik eagerly returning the hug.

The two sat like that in silence for a moment. When they drew away, Isis was staring at him. "What is it?" he asked, cocking his head and looking at her.

She shook her head and turned away, smiling. "You see... Yuugi told Rishid and I what happened when you found that Ghoul... The one that claimed t-that he had ..."

Malik stared down at his hands, still remorseful from his moment of weakness.

"Don't be ashamed," Isis whispered then, squeezing his hand, knowing what he was thinking. "Rishid and I... We are both very proud of you."

"It is the truth," came a voice from behind them. The two younger Ishtar turned to face the eldest, who sat on Malik's other side, laying a hand on his little brother's shoulder.

Malik turned to Rishid. "Oniisan..." he said urgently. "Who am I?"

Rishid looked perplexed. "You are Malik Ishtar..." Rishid answered, wondering what Malik meant.

"And... ?" Malik encouraged. Rishid suddenly realized what it was Malik wanted to hear. A warm smile spread across his face.

"And you are my brother."

Malik nodded. He turned back and looked at Isis. He looked back at Rishid. "And she is...?"

"Isis, our sister," Rishid complied.

Malik smiled, satisfied. He turned back to face the front and leaned against Rishid's shoulder. Isis followed suit, leaning against Malik's shoulder.

"Your birthday is next month, you know," she remarked to her younger brother. "What do you wish for?"

Malik thought for a moment. "Nothing I don't already have." He closed his eyes. "I live in the light with my siblings and my new friends, all of whom have accepted that I've changed from the person I used to be. ...What more could I possibly want?"

They were together again. The three sat in silence, finding no needs for words.

"Malik... Do you remember that stormy night a few months back?" Rishid said suddenly.

Malik nodded. "I asked you if you ever regretted being adopted as an Ishtar," he recalled.

"And I still could never regret it," Rishid confirmed. "If... If I'd never been adopted, then I wouldn't have you both – my siblings."

A smile spread across Malik's face.

"It's... It's silly, really..." he said embarrassedly.

His older siblings looked at him curiously.

"I feel as if right now, I tried to fly, I could do it."

Because he knew where he belonged now. He belonged on this planet, in this country, in this city, on this porch...in these arms.

**&&&&**

Ending notes!

Whoo, it's come to a close. I first created the document containing the first chapter on June 12th, and 'MI' was a work-in-progress all that time. I can now say that I am quite sick of writing Yuugiou angst. XD

So, now then, onto my next projects. Not that ya'll really care.

I'm gonna be writing in the InuYasha fandom now – I've got two one-shots planned out that tie together and will serve as prequels for a rewritten version of Don't Let Me Let You Go, because 'Go', is old and a piece of crap, 'cause I wrote it back when I was one of those hyper authoresses who's like, "OOH! INU-BABY! I LOVE YOU!" and stuff. XP

I will not be completely chucking the idea of a sequel to 'MI' out the window. (grin-sweatdrop) It will most likely involve the mafia.

I wanna write a YGO Christmas fic! So I might work on that at random times. And you could see Wild Drive rise from the ashes sometime.

Kami-chan: (pops up) Sorry for the delay in getting this updated, folks. We were busy and didn't exactly have a lot of time.

Mojobubbles: ... 'time'? What is this 'time' you speak of?

Kami-chan: XD Anyway, big thankies to all of ya who reviewed, and a really BIG thankies to all our loyal reviewers. n.n Ja ne!


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